Cody Gakpo's Future at Liverpool: Spurs' Interest Grows as De Zerbi Talks Progress
Cody Gakpo’s future at Liverpool is no longer a theoretical debate. It is on the table, it is active, and Tottenham Hotspur are right in the middle of it.
Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink reports that the Netherlands international held direct talks with Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi last month. Those conversations, crucially, ended with Gakpo open to a move to north London. For a player who only arrived at Anfield in January 2023, that is a significant shift.
Liverpool, too, are no longer shutting the door. Their willingness to consider a sale has grown, and that change in mood is what has turned Tottenham’s interest from background noise into a live story.
De Zerbi makes his pitch
Spurs’ pursuit of Gakpo has accelerated in recent weeks. Earlier reporting from Voetbal International’s Joost Blaauwhof detailed how the club formally registered their interest, with De Zerbi identifying Gakpo and Savinho as two very different tools for his attacking structure.
Elfrink has now pushed the story on. Posting on X, he wrote that Gakpo had already spoken with De Zerbi last month and “after that, the conclusion was that he is definitely open to a transfer to Spurs. Liverpool now seems willing to go along with it. There's still good money in it for PSV, so interesting enough.”
That direct communication matters. Gakpo has been given a clear picture of his role under De Zerbi, the spaces he would occupy, the responsibilities he would carry. Tottenham, in turn, know the player is not just flattered by the interest but genuinely receptive to their project.
It is the kind of early alignment that often sits behind big Premier League transfers.
The price of doing business
Now comes the hard part: the fee.
SoccerNews report that Tottenham have already tested the water with an opening proposal worth just over £60 million. Liverpool are expected to reject that. Their internal valuation sits closer to £70 million, a number that would mark a strong profit on the sum paid to PSV Eindhoven when Gakpo joined midway through the 2022–23 season.
If Spurs are prepared to push closer to that figure, the negotiation could become relatively straightforward. Liverpool have little incentive to sell below their price. Gakpo is 27, experienced in the Premier League, and able to operate from the left, centrally, or across several attacking roles. That versatility is expensive in this market.
Tottenham know that too. The question is whether they believe Gakpo at £70 million is the piece that elevates De Zerbi’s attack from promising to genuinely dangerous.
Barcola chase looms over Anfield
One subplot could decide everything: Bradley Barcola.
Liverpool’s pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain winger is gathering attention, with Andoni Iraola overseeing a major reshaping of his forward line. Mohamed Salah has already gone. The attacking hierarchy is being rewritten.
If Liverpool make tangible progress on Barcola, Gakpo’s situation changes again. His departure would free up a place in Iraola’s attacking group and generate significant income to fund the rebuild. It would also help balance the numbers in a squad that cannot carry too many high-value forwards without guaranteed minutes.
PSV are watching closely from a distance. Elfrink notes that the Dutch club would benefit from the solidarity mechanism if Gakpo joins Tottenham, giving them a financial stake in the outcome even after his move to Anfield.
Risk, reward and a Premier League rival
For Liverpool, the equation is delicate.
Selling Gakpo for around £70 million makes sense on a spreadsheet, especially if that money is immediately recycled into Barcola or another elite attacker. The danger lies in completing the outgoing deal before the incoming one is nailed down.
Iraola has already walked into a period of upheaval. Salah’s exit has stripped away a reliable source of goals and leadership. Removing another established forward, one who still offers goals, Premier League know-how and tactical flexibility, only increases the volatility of a season that is already transitional.
There is another uncomfortable angle: the badge on the buying club’s shirt. Strengthening Tottenham directly is not a trivial decision. De Zerbi clearly sees something in Gakpo’s profile – his movement, his pressing, his ability to attack different zones – or those talks would not have happened so early or so openly.
If Gakpo flourishes in north London while Liverpool scramble to bed in a replacement, the deal will look very different in hindsight.
Tottenham, for their part, sense opportunity. They want the player. Gakpo is open to the move. Liverpool are prepared to talk at the right number. The main components of a deal are now on the table.
What happens next may come down to one simple choice: do Spurs go to £70 million, and do Liverpool dare to say yes before the new face in their forward line has actually walked through the door?
