Cody Gakpo: Liverpool's New Key Player for the Season
Liverpool have shelved Cody Gakpo’s blockbuster exit and drawn up a very different plan for the Dutchman: build the season around him.
All summer, Gakpo looked like the one big-name attacker Liverpool were prepared to cash in on – at the right price. After a standout World Cup and a flying start to the 2026/27 campaign, he drew serious interest from Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Both clubs were ready to test Liverpool’s resolve. City went further than that.
In the final days of the window, City pushed hard. They wanted Gakpo as a high-end replacement for Savio and were willing to pay for it. According to Dutch outlet Dagblad, Liverpool and Gakpo had a clear understanding: if a package of around €100m arrived, he could go.
That figure was met. Twice.
Dagblad reported that both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were prepared to match the financial terms Liverpool had set. With the numbers agreed, the choice moved to the player. Gakpo chose City.
Then the door slammed shut.
As the report tells it, Gakpo was informed he would not be allowed to join City after all. No late compromise. No alternative move. “It now appears that there will definitely be no other deal,” the outlet concluded. What looked like a record-breaking transfer simply died in the final stretch.
Earlier this week, Gakpo is said to have spoken directly with Liverpool’s owners, partly to clear the air after the collapse of his move. Any lingering uncertainty over his status has now been replaced by something else: responsibility.
From sale candidate to cornerstone
Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke claims Liverpool have flipped their stance on the 27-year-old. Instead of being the asset they were willing to sacrifice, Gakpo is now expected to play a “key” role for the rest of the season.
The club did not bring in a replacement. That decision says as much as any statement.
“Gakpo will be a key player for Liverpool this season, definitely,” O’Rourke said, pointing to his start to the campaign. The winger scored against Newcastle on the opening weekend and added a smart assist against Nottingham Forest, underlining why Liverpool hesitated when the money hit the table.
His biggest selling point is the very thing that ultimately convinced Liverpool to keep him: versatility. Gakpo can operate across the front line, drop into pockets, link play, and still threaten goal. For a coach like Andoni Iraola, who demands intensity and flexibility, that profile is gold.
“He’s such a versatile player for Liverpool, and I think that’s the key, Liverpool didn’t really want to lose that,” O’Rourke added. City’s offer was huge, “top dollar” in his words, but not enough to offset what Gakpo brings across multiple positions and systems.
The club weighed the fee. Iraola weighed the football. The manager won.
O’Rourke is clear on that point: Liverpool’s late U-turn reflects Iraola’s stance. The Spaniard “did not want to lose the Dutchman, because he knows that he will play a key role for his side this season in any success they do have.”
So the saga ends not with a record sale, but with a statement of intent. Gakpo stays, not as a reluctant prisoner of the market, but as a central figure in Iraola’s project. The question now is simple: can he turn a blocked move into the season that defines his Liverpool career?
