Former Manchester United centre-back Jaap Stam has said that Cody Gakpo would need time to adapt to his new surroundings if he made the move to Old Trafford.
The PSV Eindhoven attacker is thought to be a leading transfer target for the Red Devils, and a recent report claimed that the club are becoming increasingly confident of signing him in January.
The 23-year-old has been in excellent form for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, scoring three times in three appearances for Louis van Gaal's side, who have progressed to the round of 16.
Meanwhile, Gakpo has been in strong form at club level this season, scoring 13 goals and registering 17 assists in 24 appearances in all competitions.
Stam, who represented Man United between 1998 and 2001, has said that his former side "need a winger that can deliver a certain quality of football".
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The former centre-back has been critical of Jadon Sancho, who has struggled to make his mark for the Red Devils since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.
Meanwhile, Stam has insisted that Erik ten Hag's side should be demanding more from Antony, with the Brazil international scoring three goals in 11 appearances for his new team this term.
"Man United need a winger that can deliver a certain quality of football because Jadon Sancho isn't delivering yet," Stam told Football Betting.
"Marcus Rashford is doing very well, Antony has come in and has scored a couple of goals but I think he needs to step up because he's not performing to the standard I know he can.
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"To be consistent, Man United need forwards who are performing in almost every game and that's why you need to have options because if someone isn't performing, then you're able to bring someone else in who can.
"Everyone is talking about Cody Gakpo, people are going to assume that Man United are going to go for him but I don't know if that's the situation.
"Gakpo would be a player that would fit into the Man United squad. There would be questions over whether he can deliver straight away because he's from Holland and we have seen people struggle in the past.
"The question is then, do Man United need to go for a more experienced winger that has maybe played at a certain level so that they can have an impact straight away."
Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was recently terminated by the Red Devils, leaving them short of options at centre-forward ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Matt Law
