Cody Gakpo Dilemma: Liverpool Faces Spurs Interest
Tottenham are ready to test Liverpool’s resolve over Cody Gakpo in a move that could hand the Anfield club a hefty profit and a major headache in equal measure.
Spurs have opened direct talks with Gakpo’s camp over a potential summer switch, with the fee suggested to be as high as £70 million. Liverpool paid under £45m to bring him from PSV to Merseyside. On the balance sheet, it is a tempting equation. On the pitch, it is anything but straightforward.
A talent that hasn’t fully translated
Gakpo arrived in England with the numbers and reputation of a prolific wide forward who could also operate through the middle. At PSV he stacked up goals, looked like a modern hybrid attacker, and seemed tailor‑made for a high‑intensity Premier League side.
In flashes, Liverpool have seen that player. Just not often enough.
He has become a seasoned Premier League performer in terms of appearances, but questions now circle around his true value to the collective. He can play off the flank, he can lead the line, he can link play. What he has not done consistently is bend games to his will in a red shirt.
That inconsistency is precisely what has dragged his future into the spotlight.
Owen’s blunt verdict
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen did not dance around the issue when asked whether the club should be open to offers.
“Well, he was consistent last year, but consistently poor,” he told GOAL. “He had a good opening 10 games or something, but then for the rest of the season, he was pretty poor.”
Owen stressed that Gakpo has already shown he can be effective in this Liverpool side, yet he did not shy away from the wider malaise either.
“It was a concern, his performances last season, although it was a concern a lot of their performances. It was a poor season.”
The criticism is sharp, but it comes with a caveat. Owen still sees a player of genuine quality, just one caught in a muddled campaign.
“His season last year was not very good. However, he has proven over time that he is very good. That's an up in the air one.”
Liverpool’s squad puzzle
The sporting logic is complicated. On one hand, a sale at £70m would represent smart business. On the other, Liverpool are already light in wide areas.
“I just think Liverpool are probably... If they lose him, they're already desperate for wide men,” Owen said. “If they lose him, are you going into the season relying on Rio Ngumoha? If you've got a replacement, then I can see it.”
That is the crux. Liverpool are understood to be focused on adding to the squad rather than trimming it. Any decision on Gakpo hinges on who can be brought in behind him.
The club have been strongly linked with France international Bradley Barcola, with Paris Saint‑Germain increasingly open to an exit for the 23‑year‑old. Should that door swing wide enough, Liverpool’s stance on Gakpo might shift with it.
For now, as Owen put it, “It could happen,” but nothing is close to inevitable.
Spurs’ gamble and the player’s call
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Spurs are “in direct talks with Cody Gakpo’s camp over possible move this summer”, adding that any agreement depends on the financial package and Liverpool’s ability to secure reinforcements.
From Tottenham’s perspective, this is an opportunity to prise away a versatile forward entering his peak years, one who has already shown at international level that he can shoulder responsibility on the biggest stages.
Gakpo himself will not be a passenger in the process. The Dutchman must decide which environment best serves both his club ambitions and his role with the national team.
He again looked lively in Oranje colours at the 2026 World Cup, reigniting the debate over why he often appears more dangerous for his country than for his club.
When asked about that contrast, the Eindhoven native offered a simple explanation: “It’s a little bit different. How I play here, where the coach wants me to be, the freedom that I have at the club. That’s it basically.”
Freedom, fit and a fork in the road
That word – freedom – may prove decisive. At Liverpool, Gakpo has at times felt like a piece still searching for its perfect place in a changing tactical puzzle. At international level, he looks like a man who knows exactly where the lines are drawn and how much space he owns.
Tottenham believe they can give him that clarity. Liverpool must decide whether they can afford to let him find it somewhere else.
