Liverpool's Dilemma on Cody Gakpo Amid Spurs Interest

Tottenham are testing the edges of Liverpool’s resolve over Cody Gakpo, sensing an opportunity at precisely the moment Anfield seems unsure what to do with him.

The numbers alone make it a tempting call for Liverpool’s hierarchy. Gakpo arrived from PSV for under £45 million, a deal that looked shrewd at the time for a versatile forward with serious output in the Eredivisie. Now, with Spurs exploring a move that could climb towards £70m, the prospect of banking a sizeable profit is very real.

This is where the football argument collides with the financial one.

Gakpo is no longer a project player. At 27, he is a seasoned Premier League forward, able to operate wide or through the middle, and he has already shown in Eindhoven that he can rack up goals and carry a frontline. Yet Liverpool have only seen that version of him in flashes. Too often, the sharp, decisive attacker that terrorised defences in the Netherlands has been replaced by a subdued presence on the fringes of games.

That inconsistency has opened the door to debate. Inside and outside the club.

Michael Owen, who knows both the weight of the Liverpool shirt and the ruthlessness of elite attacking standards, did not sugarcoat his assessment. Speaking to GOAL, he described Gakpo’s campaign in brutally simple terms: consistent, but consistently poor after a bright start. A strong opening spell, then a long, disappointing fade.

Owen still recognises the talent. He pointed out that Gakpo has already proved he can be “very effective” in this Liverpool side, but he also underlined what many around Anfield felt last season: it was a poor year across the board, and Gakpo was part of that malaise rather than the antidote to it.

The bigger issue for Liverpool is not just what Gakpo is, but what they have around him. Owen framed the core question: if Liverpool let him go, what’s left? They are already light in wide areas. Lose Gakpo without a replacement and suddenly you are asking whether the club can realistically lean on a youngster like Rio Ngumoha across a long, demanding season. That is not the kind of gamble a side with Liverpool’s ambitions usually takes.

So the decision is tangled. On one side, a player whose stock remains high enough to attract a serious bid from a domestic rival. On the other, a squad that cannot afford to be stripped of attacking depth unless there is a clear upgrade or at least a like-for-like reinforcement ready to walk through the door.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Spurs are in direct talks with Gakpo’s camp over a possible summer move. The deal, as ever, rests on the financial package and on Liverpool’s ability to secure reinforcements of their own. This is not a straightforward clear-out sale; it is a chain reaction waiting to happen.

Liverpool’s recruitment plans hint at that. The club have been strongly linked with France international Bradley Barcola, with suggestions that Paris Saint-Germain are ready to listen to offers for the 23-year-old Champions League winner. Barcola, a livewire forward with pedigree at the highest level, would represent exactly the sort of dynamic, high-ceiling addition that might make cashing in on Gakpo more palatable.

But the Dutchman is not just a pawn in Liverpool’s rebuild. He will have a significant say in how this story ends.

Gakpo’s international form continues to complicate the picture. Wearing the Oranje shirt, he often looks liberated, sharper, more decisive in the final third. He caught the eye again at the 2026 World Cup, reminding everyone of the player who once looked destined to be one of Europe’s most feared wide forwards. The contrast with his club form is hard to ignore.

Asked to explain why he seems more consistent for the Netherlands than for Liverpool, Gakpo offered a simple answer. It comes down to how he is used, where the coach wants him to be, and the freedom he enjoys. At international level, he feels trusted in a role that suits him. At club level, that balance has not always been there.

So Liverpool face a classic modern dilemma: keep faith in a proven international talent whose best club form remains locked away, or take the money while the market is hot and rebuild the attack around a new profile of forward.

Spurs, sensing hesitation, are ready to pounce. Liverpool, caught between need and opportunity, must decide whether Gakpo is part of the solution or the key to funding it.