Tottenham's Pursuit of Cody Gakpo Intensifies

Tottenham refuse to let Cody Gakpo go quiet.

Even with a £140m double swoop for Omar Marmoush and Savinho on the verge of completion, Spurs are still pushing to prise the Dutch forward away from Liverpool, with Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein both flagging the deal as one to watch in the final stretch of the window.

Spurs won’t drop Gakpo

Gakpo arrived at Anfield from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and, despite a dip last season, has generally impressed in Liverpool colours. He has responded to uncertainty over his future with a sharp pre-season, doing everything he can to convince new boss Andoni Iraola that he deserves a central role.

Iraola is open to keeping him. That much is clear. But Liverpool’s transfer strategy is dragging Gakpo into the market.

The club have already brought in Victor Munoz and are pushing hard to add Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh before the window closes. Those pursuits have raised the prospect of a sale to ease financial pressure, and Gakpo is one of the few assets who could command a significant fee.

Behind the scenes, talks have taken place over a possible move to north London. Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, underlined just how alive the situation remains.

“Don’t forget Cody Gakpo,” he stressed. Savinho is flying into London for medical tests and to sign his contract. Marmoush is expected to follow as the new centre-forward in the coming days. But the plan at Tottenham has always been clear: right winger, left winger, centre striker.

For that left-sided role, the name on the list has not changed. Cody Gakpo.

Romano says Spurs are already working on the player’s side of the deal and that personal terms are “not an issue”. The real battle sits between the clubs.

Tottenham, he says, “remain absolutely on it” with Liverpool. If the total package can be agreed, Gakpo’s time at Anfield “could be over in the next few days”. His message was simple: keep an eye on this one until the end.

Liverpool’s Gakpo dilemma

Ornstein, speaking on TNT Sports, painted a picture of a club split on what to do.

Liverpool, he explained, are fully focused on Barcola. “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. If they don’t get him in from PSG, I think they’ll happily keep Gakpo.”

The equation is brutal but straightforward. Land Barcola, and Gakpo becomes expendable. Miss out, and he stays as a key option for Iraola, who “really likes him”.

Right now, the stumbling block is PSG’s valuation of Barcola. “It’ll all come down to the fee with PSG, and the gap is too big at the moment,” Ornstein added.

At the same time, Liverpool are deep in talks over Minteh. A strong update on Saturday morning left the club confident a deal is possible after they gained clarity on Brighton’s likely asking price and received a firm green light from the player’s camp.

“It definitely stands a chance,” Ornstein said of Minteh, “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.”

Brighton’s stance is uncompromising. They know Minteh is a “coveted talent” and want in excess of £70m including add-ons. Liverpool are wary of going that high, especially with the player carrying an injury concern, even if the belief in his ceiling is strong.

Can Minteh or Barcola really follow Salah?

Away from the numbers, the football question lingers: who actually replaces Mohamed Salah?

TNT Sports pundit Karen Carney is not convinced Minteh is ready to step straight into that role on the right of Liverpool’s attack.

“If you’re looking to replace [Mohamed] Salah, he isn’t going to be ready to jump into that mould,” she said. At 22, Minteh is “young and extremely quick and explosive”, very much an Iraola-type player, but Carney raised doubts over whether he is truly “fit and ready to go” at that level.

Barcola, she argued, brings a different profile. Still raw, capable of being more clinical, but already a two-time Champions League winner and a France international. In her view, he “fits the bill” more cleanly.

And so Liverpool’s summer hangs on a set of intertwined decisions. How far do they push for Barcola? How high will they go for Minteh? And at what price does Gakpo stop being a valuable squad piece and become the sacrifice that funds the next phase of Iraola’s rebuild?

Tottenham are betting that answer arrives before the window slams shut.