Manchester City has erected a 40-meter-high banner of Cody Gakpo on the Etihad Stadium's east stand, visible from the M62 motorway, as the club's pursuit of the Dutch forward enters its most theatrical phase. The banner, which took a crane crew of twelve and three days to install, shows Gakpo in a sky-blue kit with the words "Welcome Home, Cody" in letters two meters tall, flanked by two floodlights aimed directly at the Liverpool supporters' coach park.
Club officials confirmed that the banner is only the first of several gestures. "We have ordered 80,000 orange scarves, 50,000 Dutch flags, and a life-sized statue of Gakpo's left foot to be placed outside the main entrance," said a club spokesman, standing beneath the banner with a megaphone. "The statue will be unveiled on Monday, and we have hired a Dutch oompah band to play the national anthem on repeat until the transfer is signed." The club shop has been stripped of all non-Dutch merchandise, with shelves now stocked exclusively with Gakpo-branded clogs, tulip-shaped keyrings, and replica shirts bearing his name.
Liverpool supporters have responded by organizing a counter-protest, planning to release 10,000 orange balloons over Anfield on Saturday, each printed with the words "He's Ours, Not Yours." The balloons, purchased from a party supply company in Rotterdam, are scheduled to be launched at 3 PM, weather permitting. Meanwhile, Manchester City's players have been instructed to wear orange training bibs all week, and the club's social media accounts have been renamed to include the Dutch flag emoji. "We are fully committed to making Cody feel like the seventh signing of the summer, even if it means painting the entire stadium orange," the spokesman added, as a forklift delivered another pallet of paint.