Cody Gakpo's Future in Doubt as Arsenal Targets Guimarães
Cody Gakpo’s Liverpool career has reached a crossroads far earlier than anyone at Anfield imagined. His form dipped alarmingly last season; now his future is being dragged into the glare of the market, with Tottenham Hotspur preparing a bid in the region of £70m to prise him to north London.
Liverpool’s stance is firm in public. The Mail report that the club “have no plans to sell Gakpo” and insist it would take a huge fee to change that position. The Athletic echo that line, stating Liverpool have “no intention of selling” – then immediately add a caveat that reveals how the game is really played. His value, they say, would be judged against other deals this summer, including Morgan Rogers’ move to Chelsea.
So the door is not bolted. It’s just very expensive to open. If Spurs truly want Gakpo, they will need to lean heavily on that newly flexed chequebook and test just how absolute Liverpool’s resolve really is.
Mudryk back on the market
At Chelsea, another winger sits at the heart of a very different kind of intrigue. Mykhailo Mudryk, freshly cleared to return after a doping ban, has attracted “multiple Premier League clubs”, according to the Mirror. Only one is named: Coventry City, now coached by Frank Lampard, who returns to the transfer orbit of his former club in an unexpected twist.
The Sun add that two further top-flight sides have made enquiries, while three European clubs are also circling. The Mirror, inevitably, went with the headline “Mud Fight”. It fits. Mudryk’s Chelsea career has never quite settled; his raw pace and unsettled form make him both a risk and a temptation for clubs looking for a reclamation project with upside.
Coventry’s interest in wide talent does not end there. They are on the list of clubs tracking Everton midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, alongside Hull, Ipswich and unnamed teams in Italy. For a player still waiting to truly establish himself at Premier League level, it is a busy market.
Hull, meanwhile, are pushing hard in midfield. They have already seen a second bid rejected for Augsburg’s Mert Kömür, a clear sign they intend to add craft and energy in the middle of the pitch before the window closes.
Arsenal push on Guimarães as big names swirl
Arsenal’s summer, though, is where the market really crackles. As reported by the Guardian, the club have opened formal talks with Newcastle United over Bruno Guimarães. The two clubs are understood to be around £10m apart in their valuation of the 28-year-old, but the very fact negotiations are active tells its own story. Arsenal want a midfielder who can dictate games and handle the Premier League’s tempo. Guimarães fits that brief.
The Express go even further, suggesting Arsenal “can complete as many as six transfer deals just this week”. It is an ambitious claim, but the names being linked show the scale of Arsenal’s thinking. Alongside Guimarães, they are credited with interest in Vinicius Júnior and Ferran Torres.
Reality bites when it comes to Torres. Barcelona are said to want a new deal for the Spaniard, while Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid have also been linked with him. Those lines alone make a move to the Emirates feel like a long shot rather than an imminent coup.
Outgoings will shape Arsenal’s window as much as any marquee arrival. Milan are keen on Gabriel Jesus, whose role has come under scrutiny after another injury-affected campaign. Fábio Vieira and Christian Nørgaard are also described as unwanted, with the club open to reshaping the squad around a tighter core of trusted starters and high-potential youngsters.
That youth focus is already visible. Arsenal are looking to “snaffle”, as it has been put, a series of promising domestic talents: Blackburn’s 18-year-old forward Igor Tyjon, Cardiff’s 16-year-old midfielder Axel Donczew, and Crystal Palace’s Mylo Bernard, a 16-year-old forward who straddles both profiles. It is a clear attempt to lock down the next wave of talent before prices explode.
West Ham hunt wide threat and striking edge
Across London, West Ham are trying to solve two problems at once: width and goals. They believe Tottenham’s Manor Solomon could answer the first question. The 27-year-old has struggled to secure a regular place at Spurs, and West Ham see an opportunity. Talks are said to be under way, though Fiorentina are also in the race and will not step aside quietly.
While that plays out, the Hammers’ search for a striker has taken a sharp turn. Sunderland have decided they will not sell Wilson Isidor to the London club, forcing West Ham to look abroad. The response has been swift: they are preparing an £18m bid for AZ Alkmaar forward Troy Parrott.
That pursuit will not be simple either. Porto, Como, Ajax, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven are all tracking Parrott, setting up a genuine contest for his signature. For West Ham, who have often found themselves paying over the odds late in windows, this is the kind of fight they need to win early.
Across the league, the pattern is clear. Big clubs are weighing up whether to cash in on underused stars. Ambitious sides are gambling on form returning, potential being unlocked, reputations being rebuilt. Somewhere in the middle of all that, Cody Gakpo, Bruno Guimarães, Mykhailo Mudryk and Troy Parrott will decide where the next phase of their careers begins – and how much risk the clubs chasing them are really willing to take.
