Tottenham's Pursuit of Cody Gakpo Amid Liverpool's Dilemma
Tottenham refuse to let Cody Gakpo go quietly.
Even with a £140m double deal for Omar Marmoush and Savinho on the brink of completion, Spurs are still pushing to prise the Dutch winger away from Liverpool, with Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein both outlining how delicately the situation is poised.
Spurs won’t drop Gakpo
Gakpo has only been at Anfield since January 2023, when he arrived from PSV Eindhoven, and his first year brought plenty of encouragement before a dip last season. He has responded with a sharp pre-season, intent on forcing his way into Andoni Iraola’s plans. The new Liverpool manager is happy to keep him if other wide targets don’t land.
That’s the tension. Liverpool are already reshaping their attack. Victor Munoz is in, and the club are working hard to add Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh before the window shuts. To fund that rebuild, Gakpo is one of the players whose future is under review.
Behind the scenes, conversations have already taken place over a possible move to north London. Romano says Tottenham are not just lurking; they are actively pushing.
“Don’t forget Cody Gakpo,” he stressed on his YouTube channel. Savinho is flying in for medical tests and contract signing, Marmoush is expected to arrive as a centre-forward in the coming days, but the left wing slot? That, Romano says, is still reserved for Gakpo.
According to his information, Spurs are working on the player side and personal terms are “not an issue”. The real battle lies with Liverpool. Tottenham “remain absolutely on it” with the Anfield hierarchy, and Romano believes Gakpo’s time at Liverpool “could be over in the next few days” if the clubs can agree a total fee.
The message: this one is live until the final hours of the window.
Liverpool’s internal dilemma
Ornstein paints a club caught between ambition and caution. Liverpool want Barcola. Badly.
“Liverpool are prioritising [Barcola], there’s no doubt about it. If they can get him from PSG, then I think we’ll see Gakpo leave,” he told TNT Sports. If PSG hold firm and Barcola stays put, the equation flips: Liverpool would be “happy” to keep Gakpo, a player Iraola “really likes”.
It all comes down to the fee with PSG, and Ornstein says the gap between the clubs is “too big at the moment”.
At the same time, Liverpool are driving ahead on Minteh. A strong update on Saturday morning has given them real confidence a deal can be struck, with Brighton’s likely asking price now clear and the player giving a firm green light.
“It definitely stands a chance,” Ornstein said, though he warned Liverpool will not be dictated to. Brighton want in excess of £70m including add-ons. That figure makes Minteh a serious investment for a 22-year-old still emerging from his first major breakthrough.
Ornstein added that Liverpool have another option lined up if the Minteh numbers don’t work, and could pivot away rather than overpay. The injury record is a concern, but the talent is such that Liverpool are weighing whether the risk is worth taking.
Can Minteh really follow Salah?
Not everyone is convinced Minteh is ready to inherit the most demanding right-wing role in English football.
TNT Sports pundit Karen Carney sounded a note of caution. If Liverpool are searching for a direct Mohamed Salah successor, she does not see Minteh as ready to “jump into that mould” straight away. She described him as young, “extremely quick and explosive”, very much an Iraola-type player, but questioned whether he is truly fit and ready to lead that flank from day one.
Carney was more bullish on Barcola, calling him “a very good player” who can still become more clinical. The French international already has two Champions League titles to his name and, in her view, “fits the bill” for what Liverpool are trying to build.
And that loops back to Gakpo. If Barcola walks through the door at Anfield, Liverpool’s stance on the Dutchman hardens. If PSG hold firm and Minteh proves too expensive, Iraola may decide Gakpo is too valuable to lose.
Tottenham are circling, terms on the player side are lined up, and Liverpool’s attacking rebuild is in motion. The next wide forward through the door – or the one who doesn’t arrive – could decide whether Gakpo’s story continues at Anfield or restarts in north London.
