Tottenham's Interest in Cody Gakpo: Liverpool's Firm Stance

Cody Gakpo has become one of those names that lingers over a transfer window. Not on the front page every day, but always close by, always part of the conversation. Now Tottenham have stepped into that conversation, and the story has moved up a gear.

Spurs Test the Water

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed what many inside the game suspected: Tottenham like Gakpo.

“There is interest from Tottenham in Cody Gakpo. There are clubs trying to understand if there is a way to strike a deal for Gakpo. As of today, Liverpool have not given green light to an exit. They are still happy with him. They will have to make a decision, not during the World Cup, it’s going to take time.”

Those lines frame the situation neatly. Interest, not an offer. Questions, not negotiations. Spurs are probing, not pushing.

This is how modern transfers often begin. A call to an intermediary. A quiet message to a sporting director. Clubs check the temperature long before they put a number on the table. Tottenham are at that stage now with Gakpo, trying to work out whether Liverpool can be moved.

Liverpool Hold the Cards

For the moment, the answer is no.

Liverpool’s stance is firm: they are happy with Gakpo and have not opened the door to a sale. That matters. This is not a player being edged out, not a fringe forward who can be sacrificed to tidy up a balance sheet.

Gakpo still carries clear value at Anfield. He can start on the left, drop into central areas, or operate as a flexible option across the front line. He offers tactical variety, something every manager leans on in a long season when injuries bite and schedules tighten.

Letting him go would only make sense if two conditions were met: the money is too strong to ignore, and the replacement plan is already lined up. Liverpool are not in a position where they must sell. They can afford to wait.

Why Spurs Want Him

Tottenham’s interest is easy to read.

Gakpo has Premier League minutes, international experience and the kind of profile that fits a modern attacking system. He is not tied to one channel or one role. He can drift, combine, attack different zones, and still carry a goal threat.

That versatility costs money. Clubs pay a premium for forwards who can solve more than one problem at once. For Spurs, who are constantly reshaping their forward line and looking for depth without losing quality, Gakpo ticks a lot of boxes.

But wanting a player and prising him out of a top-six rival are very different challenges.

World Cup Cloud Over Valuation

Romano’s note that no decision will come “during the World Cup” adds another layer.

Major tournaments skew markets. A player catches fire for three weeks and valuations jump. Another struggles for form or fitness and suddenly feels less urgent. Clubs know this. They have been burned before by emotional, tournament-driven deals.

Liverpool seem determined to avoid that trap. With Tottenham and others still only exploring, there is no need for them to rush. They can watch the World Cup unfold, reassess Gakpo’s position in the squad, and judge the market when the noise dies down.

Patience suits them. It does not necessarily suit the clubs trying to tempt them.

A Decision With Domestic Consequences

This is not a routine squad call for Liverpool. Selling Gakpo to Tottenham would not just create a gap in their own attacking options; it would directly strengthen a domestic rival.

The calculation is simple but brutal: how much money justifies handing a useful, adaptable forward to a club you expect to be jostling with in the league and in cup competitions?

Every player has a price. That much is true across football. The key for Liverpool is where they draw that line and how stubbornly they defend it.

If Spurs genuinely want Gakpo, they will have to do more than register interest and make polite enquiries. They will need to put a proposal on the table that makes Liverpool uncomfortable, that forces a hard internal debate at Anfield.

Until that happens, this remains what it is now: a story in its early chapters, a club circling a target, and a seller in no hurry to pick up the pen.