Tottenham's Pursuit of Cody Gakpo Heats Up
Tottenham refuse to let Cody Gakpo go quiet.
Even with a £140m double swoop for Omar Marmoush and Savinho on the brink, Spurs are still pushing to prise the Dutch winger from Liverpool, with Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein both outlining how live this story remains.
Spurs won’t park Gakpo chase
Gakpo arrived at Anfield from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and, for long stretches, has looked every inch a Liverpool forward. Last season’s dip raised a few eyebrows, but it has not erased the impression he made in his first months on Merseyside.
Now the landscape around him is shifting.
Liverpool have already secured Victor Munoz and are throwing serious energy into deals for Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh before the window closes. With those pursuits gathering pace, Gakpo’s status has moved from untouchable to uncertain, as the club weigh up a sale to help fund their rebuild.
The player, though, is not looking for the exit. He has put together a strong pre-season, intent on convincing Andoni Iraola he still belongs in Liverpool’s front line. Iraola is open to that outcome and is prepared to keep Gakpo if other attacking targets don’t fall into place.
Behind the scenes, the picture is less settled. Talks have taken place over a possible move to north London, and Romano has underlined how firmly Tottenham remain in the frame.
“Let me finish by telling you, don’t forget Cody Gakpo,” he said on his YouTube channel. “Don’t forget Cody Gakpo, because Savinho is going to Tottenham today in London for medical tests and contract signing.
“Omar Marmoush is expected to go to Tottenham as a centre striker, and he’s a target that is going to probably happen in the next few days, as I told you.
“But I told you always, right winger, left winger, centre striker. This was what I told you about Tottenham.
“And for the left winger, the name remains Cody Gakpo.
“Tottenham are working on it. Tottenham are working on the player side. Player terms are not an issue.
“And then Tottenham remain absolutely on it, on the club side with Liverpool.
“So Gakpo, Liverpool could be over in the next few days if the total fee can be agreed. Watch out for that one until the end.”
For Spurs, Marmoush is lined up as the central striker, Savinho as a wide option, but the plan has always been clear: one for the right, one for the left, one through the middle. Gakpo is still the preferred answer on that left flank.
Liverpool’s internal tug-of-war
Inside Liverpool, the debate is more nuanced. Ornstein has laid out the dilemma: Gakpo’s future is tied directly to whether the club can land Barcola.
“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 they don’t get him in from PSG, I think they’ll happily keep Gakpo.
“[Andoni] Iraola really likes him. It’ll all come down to the fee with PSG, and the gap is too big at the moment.”
So the chain is clear. PSG’s stance on Barcola helps decide Gakpo’s fate. While that plays out, Liverpool are also driving forward on Minteh, buoyed by fresh encouragement on Saturday morning after clarity on Brighton’s price and a strong signal from the player’s side.
“It definitely stands a chance, but if the numbers are not right for Liverpool, I hear that they have another option they’re weighing up and could pivot to if it doesn’t suit them with Minteh,” Ornstein added. “I’m not ruling it out, of course.
“Brighton know he’s a coveted talent, so they want in excess of £70 million with add-ons, and I’m not sure Liverpool will want to go quite that far, but I really like the look of this player, and I think he could go to a level we’ve not seen so far.
“The injury is a concern, but if you’re so convinced by the talent, you could probably take the risk.”
That price point explains Liverpool’s caution. A fee north of £70m for Minteh, on top of a major outlay for Barcola, makes a significant sale almost inevitable. Gakpo is the obvious candidate.
Who really replaces Salah?
Not everyone is convinced Minteh is ready to step into the most daunting role in the squad: the long-term successor to Mohamed Salah on the right.
TNT Sports pundit Karen Carney sounded a note of caution.
“If you’re looking to replace [Mohamed] Salah, he isn’t going to be ready to jump into that mould,” she said. “He’s 22, young and extremely quick and explosive, certainly an Iraola type of player, but you question whether he’s fit and ready to go.
“Barcola is a very good player, still raw. I think he can be more clinical, but he’s won two Champions Leagues and is a French international, so I think he fits the bill.”
So Liverpool juggle profiles, prices and timelines. Spurs, meanwhile, keep their stance simple: they want Gakpo, they have an agreement on the player side, and they are waiting for Liverpool to blink on the fee.
If Barcola walks through the door at Anfield, does Gakpo walk out towards north London?
