Liverpool star 'accused of being a neglectful and absentee landlord' - as angry tenants hit out at 'rat infestations and damp conditions that are not fit for human habitation'

Cody Gakpo has found himself at the centre of a bizarre row after the Liverpool star was accused of being a neglectful and absentee landlord.

Gakpo, 24, has scored 21 times in 74 games since moving to Anfield from PSV in January 2023, while he is also a key player for the Netherlands.

The forward is believed to be on wages of around £130,000-a-week and reports in Dutch regional newspaper De Limburger claim Gakpo has built up a substantial real estate portfolio across five different cities in the south of Holland - Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Roermond, Weert and Geleen.

Gakpo owns this string of properties under his company Samaritan, where he is listed as the sole shareholder. 

However, according to The Mirror, angry occupants have hit out at the state of their homes, insisting they are 'not fit for human habitation', while others have complained about structural problems, vermin infestations and an inadequate repair process. 

To further add to the furore, the letting agent who works on Gakpo's behalf is reportedly charging rents at a level higher than market prices despite major defects. 

For example, one flat that is damp and riddled with mould is up for €875-a-month (£754), while another is so small that tenants have to walk sideways to get in the front door yet it is priced at €850-a-month (£733), with the average rent per month in the area around €560 (£500). 

More claims in De Limburger say Gakpo, who is a devout Christian, uses Stefan Stals from Elevate Finance as a managing agent, with Stals tasked with dealing with tenants' issues and collecting rent. 

Stals was forced to deny suggestions the properties have been riddled with rat problems and also said all maintenance requests have been dealt with promptly.

However, Stals did confirm he hadn't checked the condition of all 11 flats Gakpo owns in Roermond, rather just four, and he also revealed claims of an infestation of mice were true.

Stals said: 'There was nuisance from mice. We had those exterminated. The maintenance condition of the property is good.' 

Meanwhile, photographs published by De Limburger seem to back up the staggering allegations, with evidence of dead mice decaying within properties, mouldy walls, holes in plasterwork and loose cables among some of the defects seen.

One resident Ricardo Silva told De Limburger: '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.' 

Dewi Kouwenberg, another resident, added: 'You see the gnaw marks on my sofa here? I don't actually dare to be here.'

Elevate Finance, where Stals works, has subsequently received legal letters from tenants, pleading to improve the conditions of their homes, but they have so far reportedly received no response.

The situation has reportedly got so bad that tenants are now not storing food in cupboards due to the grim conditions and lack of effective pest control.

Both Liverpool FC and Gakpo's football agent, Kees Ploegsma, declined to comment on the row when contacted by The Mirror.

The Reds reportedly believe this issue to be a personal matter for their forward, while Ploegsma claimed the responsibility for the upkeep of the properties is with the management company who act on Gakpo's behalf.