Cody Gakpo is still in the process of adapting to his role as a midfielder. While the Dutchman is a dependable player, there is one significant area where he needs improvement.

In the current month’s first two Premier League matches, Cody Gakpo faced a challenging task. Jürgen Klopp secured four points from the matches against Chelsea and Bournemouth, and in both games, he deployed Gakpo as a midfielder rather than a forward.

Due to a shortage of options in the midfield following the surprising departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho this summer, Klopp had no choice but to field Gakpo as a left-sided number eight in both games. The recent signing, Wataru Endo, is the only midfield replacement so far.

Furthermore, with Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajčetić recovering from injuries, Gakpo had to step in as a makeshift midfielder to fill the void. The 24-year-old has performed admirably, but a noticeable weakness has emerged in his game.

To put it simply, Gakpo is not accustomed to frequent ball involvement. As a forward, he was used to operating in the final third, creating chances, or scoring goals, as he did for his former club, PSV Eindhoven. This is why he has appeared somewhat uncomfortable at times when required to be a constant passing option at Anfield.

In the opening match against Chelsea, he completed just 10 passes in 65 minutes before being substituted for Curtis Jones, who managed 15 passes in just 25 minutes on the pitch. Surprisingly, no player who started the game completed fewer passes than Gakpo, despite his central midfield position.

In the subsequent match against Bournemouth, with Jones sidelined due to an ankle injury, Klopp again deployed Gakpo as a number eight. However, the same issue persisted. The Dutch international completed only 20 passes, once again the fewest among the Liverpool players.

Gakpo has played a total of 127 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, averaging just 21 completed passes per 90 minutes. While it’s too early to draw firm conclusions due to the small sample size, this average is notably low for a midfielder in a dominant team.

For perspective, Dominik Szoboszlai, in a similar role on the right side, is averaging 50 completed passes per 90 minutes. It’s worth mentioning that Szoboszlai is a new signing from RB Leipzig this summer. Jones, who could return soon, averaged 53 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season.

Overall, Gakpo is a valuable contributor with great potential, but if he intends to continue in the midfield role, he must enhance Liverpool’s control by getting more involved with the ball and delivering accurate passes. In a previous interview with the Dutch publication AD, Gakpo discussed his gradual transition to becoming more of a midfielder in the heart of the pitch.

“Guus Hiddink was the first to mention the change,” he said. “He spent a while at PSV as a sounding board. I didn’t want to believe that then. And also not when Roger Schmidt said the same thing later at PSV. I was more stubborn than now and felt good on the left flank. But at the last World Cup, I was already more central on the field and at Liverpool even permanently in the past six months. I’m just more excited to get better at that place in the near future.”

Klopp’s assessment might hold merit, but judging by his recent displays, Gakpo seems to thrive more as a forward who doesn’t frequent the ball but poses a genuine threat when he does. While he undeniably possesses the skills to develop into a midfielder, his current discomfort in that role hints at Liverpool’s ongoing need for a significant rebuilding effort.

The overhaul of the midfield department is nearing its conclusion with the additions of Endo, Szoboszlai, and Alexis Mac Allister this summer. However, to mount a serious challenge across all competitions this season, Klopp will likely require further reinforcements.