Tottenham Eyes Cody Gakpo Amid Liverpool's Stance
Tottenham’s pursuit of attacking reinforcements has taken a familiar Premier League twist: eyes on a rival’s forward, a firm stance from the selling club, and a player said to be open to the move if the numbers line up.
Standard Sport understands Spurs hold a concrete interest in Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, viewing the Dutch international as a versatile solution across the front line. No formal talks have taken place with Liverpool, but the London club have placed him high on a list that also includes a winger and potentially another striker before the window shuts.
For now, Liverpool are not playing ball. The Anfield hierarchy have no plans to sell Gakpo as they work through a far more pressing task: replacing Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian’s departure has left a gaping hole on the right of their attack and in their goal output, and Liverpool’s focus is fixed on filling it before entertaining any major exits.
Top Targets
At the top of their wish list sits Bradley Barcola. The Paris Saint-Germain and France winger is regarded as a marquee target, but he comes with a marquee price. Reports value the 21-year-old at around £145million, a fee that would test even Liverpool’s resolve and reshape their entire summer strategy.
That financial reality gives the Gakpo situation an extra layer. Caught Offside report that Gakpo is open to joining Spurs if a fee can be agreed between the clubs. Football Insider have suggested an asking price in the region of £70m, a figure that would represent a significant outlay but sits in a different stratosphere to the Barcola numbers.
Whether Liverpool soften their stance will define how real this story becomes. For now, the message from Merseyside is resistance. Gakpo remains part of their plans, and with Salah already gone, Jürgen Klopp’s successor cannot afford to watch another forward walk out the door without a clear succession plan in place.
Tottenham's Strategy
On the other side of the equation, Tottenham are not acting like a club ready to settle. Under Roberto De Zerbi, they have already spent £237m this summer and brought in six new players, yet the Italian insists their work is only “60 per cent” complete. Two to three more signings are on his wish list, with a winger and possibly another centre-forward earmarked as priorities.
Gakpo fits that blueprint neatly. Spurs see him primarily as an option off the left, but his ability to operate as a No9 adds obvious appeal in a squad that still feels one injury away from looking light through the middle. For a coach who demands fluid movement and interchanging positions in the final third, a forward comfortable drifting between roles is a powerful weapon.
The tension lies where it so often does in modern football: ambition versus cost, need versus availability. Tottenham have identified their man. Liverpool, for now, are holding their ground. If that £70m ballpark figure edges closer to reality, the next move will reveal just how determined each club is to stick to its plan.
