Major tournaments always produce a few breakthrough stars whose exploits on the big stage raise their profile to a new level.
Previous World Cups have heralded the emergence of El Hadji Diouf, Mesut Ozil, Asamoah Gyan and James Rodriguez amongst others, contributing to big-money transfer moves.
The Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo has stood out so far, scoring against Senegal and Ecuador in his country’s first two group games.
Alongside Arsenal and Liverpool, Manchester United are one of several leading clubs who continue to monitor Gakpo’s progress.
It’s proved to be the right decision as a run of 14 goals in 23 games across all competitions, in addition to his international success, have boosted Gakpo’s prospects.
In a press conference ahead of the Netherlands’ final group game against Qatar, he was asked about the speculation linking him with bigger clubs.
“My focus is now on the World Cup, but it is always nice to hear of such rumours. I just try to focus here and do my best,” said Gakpo.
“I know what I’m capable of, but it is always a challenge to reach the highest level that's possible and I am not there yet. I think I can improve on many things.”
