Tottenham's Pursuit of Cody Gakpo: A Transfer Dilemma

Tottenham refuse to let Cody Gakpo go quiet.

Even with a £140m double deal for Omar Marmoush and Savinho on the verge of completion, Spurs are still pushing to prise the Dutchman from Liverpool, with Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein both outlining how delicately the situation is poised.

Spurs won’t drop Gakpo – even after Marmoush and Savinho

Gakpo arrived at Anfield from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and, for long stretches, looked every inch a Liverpool forward. Last season dipped, but not disastrously. Enough, though, to raise questions once Liverpool began rebuilding their attack.

Victor Munoz is already through the door. The club are working hard on Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh before the window closes. Those moves have dragged Gakpo’s future into the spotlight, with Liverpool understood to be open to a sale if the fee helps rebalance their books.

Gakpo is not behaving like a man desperate to leave. He has delivered in pre-season, intent on convincing Andoni Iraola he still belongs in Liverpool’s front line. Iraola, for his part, is prepared to keep him if other attacking targets fall away.

Behind that public stance, though, conversations have taken place about a switch to north London. Romano says Spurs have never taken their eye off him.

“Don’t forget Cody Gakpo,” he said on his YouTube channel. “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.”

The message is clear: even with Marmoush through the middle and Savinho out wide, Spurs still see Gakpo as the left-sided piece to complete their attacking puzzle.

Liverpool’s internal dilemma

While Tottenham push, Liverpool hesitate.

Ornstein believes the club’s decision on Gakpo is tied directly to whether they can land Barcola from PSG.

“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 Liverpool sit in a holding pattern. Barcola is the trigger. No Barcola, no sale. Land the Frenchman, and Gakpo suddenly becomes the expendable asset who can fund the next phase of Iraola’s rebuild.

At the same time, Liverpool are driving hard for Minteh. A strong update on Saturday morning has given the club real confidence a deal can be struck, with Brighton’s likely asking price now clearer and the player giving the move a firm green light.

“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.”

Can Minteh really follow Salah?

Not everyone is convinced Minteh is ready for the responsibility Liverpool are sketching out for their right flank.

TNT Sports pundit Karen Carney sounded a note of caution about the idea of him stepping into Mohamed Salah’s role any time soon.

“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. Tottenham, meanwhile, keep working on Gakpo, confident player terms are tied down and that only Liverpool’s green light stands in the way.

If Barcola lands at Anfield and Minteh follows, does that finally push the door open for Spurs to steal a frontline-ready winger from a direct rival?