Andoni Iraola, manager of Liverpool, expressed his happiness that none of his players departed, particularly one who had been linked with a move to Manchester City during the summer transfer window.
Iraola stated in remarks published by "Liverpool's official website" regarding Cody Gakpo: "Cody is a very intelligent player, and my relationship with him has been characterized by complete honesty from the start."
He added: "He delivered an outstanding performance with us in all our pre-season matches, scoring a goal in the first game and providing an assist in the next."
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He continued: "I needed to be fully aware of the market situation, and we were constantly communicating. He trained excellently, and I hope we can maintain this level. I am confident he will continue on this path."
Iraola resumed his statements: "Cody Gakpo is in good mental and physical condition. I am very happy that Cody is staying; he is a player of truly great value."
Iraola confirmed that Bradley Barkola is ready to play for Liverpool: "I see him in good shape; he trained with us. Although he didn't get playing time during the preparation period, he was training. This decision is ours to make, and we must consider that he didn't feature in any pre-season matches."
Concluding his remarks about Barkola's participation against Ipswich Town in tomorrow's Premier League match, Iraola said: "We are very happy with him. We prioritized signing a very good player for this position. I appreciate his desire to join us and help the team. He has trained and will be available with us tomorrow."