Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has been accused of letting tenants in properties he owns in the Netherlands live in allegedly “rat-infested” homes.
The Dutch star, who is on around £130,000 per week, has used his riches to invest in property in five cities in his homeland through his company Samaritan. Via letting agents, Gakpo charges rent of up to €875 a month (£754) for what is described as a damp basement flat riddled with mould, and €850 a month (£733) for another apartment said to be so tiny that tenants have to walk sideways to get to the front door, reports the Mirror.
The 24-year-old is listed as the sole shareholder of Samaritan, which owns properties in Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Roermond, Weert and Geleen. Gakpo is a devout Christian and leads a Bible group in the Dutch squad that conducts prayer meetings before every international.
However, he is facing increasing criticism at home after serious allegations were made about his property portfolio by regional newspaper De Limburger. It was reported that Gakpo uses the services of Stefan Stals, an employee of finance company Elevate Finance, who deals with tenants’ issues and collects rent.
The condition in one of the properties owned by Liverpool star Cody Gakpo
Stals denied there was an issue with rats and insisted maintenance issues with the properties had been dealt with appropriately. However, he admitted that he had only checked the condition of four of the 11 flats that Gakpo owns in Roermond. Stals also conceded there had been an infestation
However, pictures taken by De Limburger appear to show evidence of serious neglect in several of the apartment buildings, with dead mice left to decay on dirty stairwells, mouldy walls, loose cables and gaps in plasterwork.
Dead rodents have been discovered in homes owned by Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo
Dead rodents have been discovered in homes owned by Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo
Resident Ricardo Silva, pointing to a gap in his ceiling, said: “A rat fell down through there into my living room. It scared me to death. I saw it running. It was a rat with a long tail. It was definitely not a mouse.”
