Tottenham's Transfer Strategy: Gakpo and More

Roberto De Zerbi has wasted no time reshaping Tottenham in his own image. The defence has already been ripped up and rebuilt with three new arrivals, and now his gaze has shifted to the rest of the pitch. The message from the club is clear: this summer is about statements.

One such statement has already been attempted. A £75million bid for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been knocked back, a bold opening gambit that underlines just how aggressively Spurs intend to back their new head coach. They remain in the market for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes as they search for the right profile to anchor and energise De Zerbi’s midfield.

And they are not stopping there.

Talks are ongoing with Manchester City over a move for Savinho, a forward who fits neatly into De Zerbi’s attacking blueprint. Tottenham want more goals, more chaos, more edge in the final third. Which is why the next name on their list carries real intrigue.

Spurs circle as Gakpo’s future clouds

Cody Gakpo has emerged as a serious option. At 27, the Liverpool forward is entering what should be his peak years, and his numbers last season quietly underline his value. He missed only two Premier League games through injury and started 32 of his 36 appearances under Arne Slot, scoring seven goals and providing five assists. That’s a direct goal contribution roughly every three matches from a player who can operate across the front line.

He has taken that form onto the international stage. Selected by Ronald Koeman for the Netherlands’ 2026 World Cup campaign in America, Canada and Mexico, Gakpo has started the tournament sharply. In the 5-1 demolition of Sweden in their second group game, he scored twice and added an assist, a performance that will not have gone unnoticed in boardrooms across Europe.

Those displays arrive at a delicate moment for his club future. Reports have suggested Liverpool are open to listening to offers this summer. They paid between £35million and £45million to bring him to Anfield in January 2023 and, if they do cash in, will expect not just to recoup that fee but to turn a profit.

Liverpool, though, are in a position of strength. Gakpo only signed a new contract last summer, believed to be worth around £250,000 a week, and that deal still has four years left to run. Any negotiation starts on their terms. Every goal he scores at the World Cup only hardens that stance and nudges the asking price higher.

Liverpool hold the cards – for now

For Tottenham, this is a long game. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Spurs are among the clubs exploring a deal for Gakpo, but the timing is awkward and the landscape complicated.

“There is interest from Tottenham,” Romano said on his YouTube channel, explaining that clubs are trying to understand if there is a path to an agreement this summer. Liverpool, he stressed, have yet to give any green light to a sale and remain very happy with the Dutchman.

That leaves the situation finely poised. Liverpool must decide whether Gakpo is central to Slot’s project or a valuable asset at the peak of his market. Spurs, eager to hand De Zerbi a frontline capable of matching his ambition, are watching closely.

This will not be resolved in the middle of a World Cup. Romano does not expect Gakpo to be walking through the doors at Hotspur Way “today or tomorrow”. But the interest is real, the need at Tottenham is obvious, and the performances on the biggest stage are only turning up the heat.

If Liverpool do eventually crack the door open, De Zerbi and Spurs look ready to barge straight through.