Tottenham's Gakpo Chase: A Fool's Errand for Spurs

Tottenham’s interest in Cody Gakpo is real. Their chances of landing him right now are anything but.

Spurs have tracked the Liverpool forward all summer, sensing an opportunity in a market where wide forwards are scarce and prices are spiralling. Gakpo, 27, comes off a solid Premier League campaign with seven goals and five assists in 36 appearances and signed a new long-term deal at Anfield only a year ago after an impressive 2024/25 season.

Liverpool shut the door – for now

Liverpool’s message to suitors is blunt: Gakpo is not on the market unless something big happens first.

The club want to keep the Netherlands international and will only even consider a sale if they bring in at least one, and more likely two, attack-minded players. Until then, every bid is heading for the shredder.

talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, speaking on Hawksbee & Baker, relayed the mood from inside Anfield. Negotiating for Gakpo now has been described to him by sources as a “fool’s errand” – Liverpool are set to reject everything until they know replacements are through the door.

The market only strengthens their hand. With fees for forwards soaring, Liverpool are ready to point at recent deals and use the inflated landscape to justify a hefty valuation if Spurs ever do test their resolve.

Barcola and Mbaye hold the key

So the spotlight swings to Liverpool’s own targets.

Bradley Barcola is at the top of their list. Liverpool are expected to table an opening offer to Paris Saint-Germain for the France international. Personal terms are not yet agreed, but Barcola is keen on the move, which gives Liverpool leverage and a clear path if they can strike a deal with PSG.

Ibrahim Mbaye is also on their radar, among other attacking options. The sense from those close to the situation is that Liverpool would need two forwards to arrive before their position on Gakpo softens in any meaningful way.

Only then, possibly by mid-August or later in the window, could Gakpo’s situation “change a little bit,” as Jacobs put it. Until that point, Tottenham are effectively knocking on a locked door.

Spurs push on two fronts: Gakpo and Savinho

Tottenham, though, are not treating Gakpo as a fantasy signing. Their interest is serious and sits alongside another ambitious move: Savinho.

Spurs are working on both deals. The plan is not Gakpo instead of Savinho, but Gakpo as well as Savinho, according to the information relayed to talkSPORT.

Savinho has already made his intentions clear. The forward has informed Manchester City that he wants to join Spurs this summer, having wanted the move as far back as last year when Tottenham’s interest first emerged.

The obstacle is not the player. It is City’s stance.

At present, the Premier League champions are not willing to sanction a sale. Any agreement would depend on the City board changing that position. The club could yet move for another attacker of their own, which might alter the picture, but for now they are holding Savinho tight.

Talks between City and Spurs have been ongoing throughout the summer, with Tottenham waiting to see if persistence and player pressure can crack the door open.

A window that could explode late

So Tottenham find themselves in a familiar transfer-window bind: two prime targets, two reluctant sellers, and a clock that might actually work in their favour.

Liverpool’s guard is up until their recruitment is done. Manchester City are refusing to budge until they decide how their own attack will look. For Spurs, the game is patience, timing and readiness to strike if either stance weakens.

If Liverpool land Barcola and another forward, Gakpo’s future could be back on the table. If City pivot in the market, Savinho’s path to north London might finally clear.

For now, Tottenham are chasing two major attacking reinforcements against two of the game’s hardest negotiators. By mid-August, we’ll know whether this was just noise, or the moment Spurs reshaped their front line for good.