Cody Gakpo, the Dutch forward for Liverpool, has spoken about a "very tough" summer that included the collapse of a proposed £80m transfer to Manchester City. Despite the setback, Gakpo has remained focused on his football, scoring a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer in the Netherlands' 1-1 draw against Germany in the Nations League. Germany's manager, Jürgen Klopp, was Gakpo’s former club manager at Liverpool, adding a personal touch to the match. The summer was particularly challenging for Gakpo, who faced both football and personal difficulties. He and his partner, Noa van der Bij, announced the tragic loss of their second son during pregnancy. When asked if he thought he would leave Liverpool, Gakpo said, "It was a difficult summer for me and my family, and everything surrounding football and life." He confirmed that Liverpool had initially been open to letting him leave but later changed their minds. "Spot on," he said when asked about this. "I cannot choose. So then I have to just try to do what I'm good at, and that's playing football." Despite the uncertainty, Gakpo has maintained a positive attitude, scoring and assisting in Liverpool's early-season matches. He has scored in Liverpool's opening-weekend draw against Newcastle and in their Carabao Cup win over Tottenham, recording five assists in total. "It's not about my character," he said. "I'm now at the point that I don't mind, I just want to enjoy football with my friends, with my teammates. I want to enjoy my life and whatever happens, happens." Gakpo has acknowledged that he wants to perform better this season after a disappointing campaign last year, which saw the departure of manager Arne Slot. His value at Liverpool was reinforced by Virgil van Dijk, his national team captain and teammate, who praised Gakpo's last-gasp equalizer against Germany. "If people didn't appreciate Cody before, personally I don't understand it," Van Dijk said. "But I think it was a no-brainer for us as a team and a club to keep him. There were talks but, in my eyes, you can't let him go."