Cody Gakpo's Future at Liverpool: Spurs Interested in a Summer Move

Liverpool’s American owners have made up their minds. Cody Gakpo, once a flagship signing and a symbol of the club’s post‑Mane rebuild, is no longer untouchable.

After a limp defence of their Premier League crown and the abrupt end of Arne Slot’s short reign, Liverpool are ready to listen to offers for the Dutchman this summer. Tottenham, sensing an opportunity, are already circling.

Gakpo on the market – and Spurs on alert

Gakpo’s decline has mirrored Liverpool’s over a dismal 2025/26 campaign. The sharp, decisive forward who arrived with such promise from PSV has looked a shadow of that player, his influence fading as the team’s title defence unravelled and the atmosphere at Anfield turned sour.

The fallout cost Slot his job. His football was labelled pedestrian, the connection with the supporters eroded, and FSG acted, replacing him with Andoni Iraola in a bid to jolt the squad back to life.

Gakpo has felt the heat more than most. Criticism from the fanbase has been relentless, and reports in the Netherlands have suggested he is ready to ask for a move, fearing his minutes will shrink under Iraola. That noise has alerted Tottenham, who are weighing up a big-money move for a forward with 121 career goals to his name.

Journalist David Lynch, speaking on Anfield Index, revealed that Liverpool’s hierarchy are far more open to a sale than many inside the club expected.

“I was really, really surprised, I’ll be honest, when I kind of had a conversation about this just before I went away,” Lynch said. “I said, surely there’s no chance Gakpo’s on the way this summer, they’ve got so much to do already. The answer I got back was kind of ‘hmm, nah, we could sell him.’”

That internal stance marks a significant shift. Gakpo had been widely expected to get a clean slate under Iraola, one more season to prove his worth. Instead, he now looks like one of the prime candidates to be cashed in.

“He very much seems to me to be up for a possible sale this summer,” Lynch added. “That’s not to say he’s guaranteed to go, but if an offer on the table comes in that is good enough, then Liverpool will 100 per cent accept it.”

The message is clear: Gakpo is no longer ring‑fenced. For Tottenham, and any other suitors, the door is open – provided they pay.

No transfer request – but a real exit route

What Gakpo has not done, according to Lynch, is force the issue.

“One thing that was played down, this idea that he’s asked to leave, is nonsense,” he said. The forward’s focus, for now, is on the World Cup. Only once that tournament ends will the real decisions begin.

“When he comes back, there’s a real chance for him to go,” Lynch continued. “It does rely on people stumping up the money, but it seems there’s interest in him. So, if that happens, we could be saying goodbye to Gakpo.”

Liverpool’s summer, though, is not just about outgoings. It is being built around a major attacking reshuffle, and the identity of the man they would love to bring in if Gakpo goes is already known.

Barcola: the £78m winger on Liverpool’s radar

Yan Diomande remains FSG’s top target, the deal they want to land above all others. A move for Victor Munoz has already been completed, and there is also Ngumoha in the mix. Yet none of those names are viewed as a like‑for‑like Gakpo replacement.

For that, Liverpool are looking at Bradley Barcola.

The France winger’s situation at PSG is being monitored closely at Anfield. Barcola, rated at around €90m (£78m), could be made available by the French champions, and Liverpool are ready to pounce if the pieces fall into place.

“For me, that feels very feasible,” Lynch said of a potential move. The conditions, though, are strict. Gakpo has to be sold, and likely after his World Cup, for the right fee. PSG would then need to be willing to cash in on Barcola. Finally, the player himself would have to choose Liverpool over a growing list of admirers.

“Arsenal have been linked previously, there’ll be competition,” Lynch noted. “But I’ve been reporting for a long time that Barcola’s a player of interest.”

The attraction is obvious. Barcola can operate on either flank and through the middle, though he prefers the left – precisely the zone Gakpo currently occupies. His versatility and profile fit neatly into Iraola’s high‑energy, front‑foot style.

“The fact that he’s someone that they do like, he can play on either side and centrally, though he primarily prefers the left, it does make sense that he’d be someone they’d pursue if they do lose Gakpo,” Lynch said.

The logic inside Liverpool is simple: if Gakpo leaves, he must be replaced by another top‑level attacker. Diomande and Ngumoha are seen as additions, not substitutes for an outgoing starter.

“If Gakpo goes, then he would need to be replaced,” Lynch stressed. “And I don’t think Diomande and Ngumoha are seen as replacements. I would watch that one, it feels like it’s not taking too huge a leap to say it’s a possibility to see Gakpo going and Barcola coming in.”

Fabrizio Romano has already underlined that Iraola “loves” Barcola and has flagged a key detail in the winger’s contract that could aid Liverpool’s pursuit. The admiration is real. The numbers will decide whether it becomes more than that.

Diomande deal looms over everything

For all the intrigue around Gakpo and Barcola, FSG’s priority remains unchanged: get Diomande through the door.

Talks with RB Leipzig have dragged, and frustration is growing in the player’s camp as they wait for Liverpool to strike an agreement. One journalist has even suggested a record-breaking deal could be wrapped up in “one or two days” if the clubs finally align on a fee.

That negotiation will shape what comes next. Once Diomande’s future is resolved, Liverpool’s attacking puzzle will start to take its final form.

Gakpo, Tottenham, Barcola, Arsenal, PSG – they all sit on the same fault line. When it shifts, someone is going to move. The only question is whether it’s Liverpool’s current No. 18 walking out, or a £78m French winger walking in.