Michael Owen has admitted he ‘feels sorry’ for new Liverpool signing Cody Gakpo following his muted performance in the goalless draw against Chelsea.

According to Owen, even Lionel Messi would have struggled for Liverpool in the goalless draw against Chelsea.

Liverpool spent around £40m to sign Gakpo from PSV at the start of the month but the 23-year-old is still searching for his first goal for the club.

“I feel sorry for him actually because he’s coming in to a team that are really inconsistent and drained of all the confidence that we’ve seen in the past,” Owen told Premier League Productions.

“He had a couple of half-chances today [against Chelsea] and it’s clear he’s trying.

“I’m sure he’s going to be a good signing for the future but at the moment, I would defy even Lionel Messi to come in and look good in this team because it’s really struggling.”