Spurs Interested in Gakpo Amid Liverpool's Stance

Tottenham are watching Cody Gakpo closely. For now, that is all it is.

Standard Sport understands Spurs hold a firm interest in the Liverpool and Netherlands forward, viewing him as a prime candidate to strengthen their attack this summer. Yet no formal talks have taken place with Liverpool, and the Merseyside club are not currently planning to cash in.

Liverpool’s stance is shaped by a much bigger question: life after Mohamed Salah. The club are focused on finding a successor to the Egyptian, and Paris Saint-Germain and France winger Bradley Barcola sits at the top of their shortlist. His price is eye-watering, with reports placing his valuation at around £145million, and that kind of outlay makes every other decision in the forward line more delicate.

Gakpo, though, is not pushing the issue. According to Caught Offside, the 25-year-old would be open to a move to Spurs if the clubs can agree a fee, leaving the door ajar for a late twist in the window. Football Insider have suggested Liverpool would want in the region of £70m to even consider a sale, a figure that underlines both his importance and the difficulty of any deal.

Whether Liverpool hold that line as the market moves around them is another matter. Their position, for now, is firm. The window has a habit of eroding certainty.

On the other side of the equation, Tottenham’s intent is clear. Despite already spending £237m on six new signings, Roberto De Zerbi is not easing off. The head coach believes the rebuild is only “60 per cent done” and wants at least two or three more additions before the deadline.

A winger is high on the list, with the option of adding another striker as well. Gakpo ticks both boxes. Spurs see him primarily as a left-sided attacker but also as someone who can lead the line as a No9, offering tactical flexibility and depth in two key positions.

For now, it is a transfer that lives in the space between interest and action. Spurs like the player. Gakpo is open to the idea. Liverpool are resisting.

The question is simple: as the window clock runs down and the Salah succession plan takes shape, who blinks first?