Tottenham's Pursuit of Cody Gakpo Hits Snag as Savinho Chase Intensifies

Tottenham’s pursuit of Cody Gakpo has hit a major snag, just as their chase for Manchester City winger Savinho gathers pace.

The north London club have been working on an ambitious double swoop, with Gakpo identified as a key attacking target and Savinho long admired in N17. For Liverpool, a sale of Gakpo would have helped bankroll moves for Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, a pair who could command around £155million between them.

Spurs had appeared to make a serious move. TEAMtalk reported on Saturday that they had agreed personal terms with Gakpo and that the Dutch forward had told Liverpool he wanted to leave, with an opening £60m bid being prepared.

Now the brakes are on.

Liverpool stance cools Gakpo talk

talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has poured cold water on the prospect of Gakpo swapping Anfield for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the window shuts.

“I don’t think it will happen,” Crook said, via Last Word on Spurs. “Speaking to sources at Liverpool they think he’s had a good pre-season under Iraola, they think he’s a player that Iraola can get the best out of.

“I think he probably would be open to the move, but at the moment that’s not one I expect to happen between now and deadline day.”

Those comments cut directly against a recent CaughtOffside claim that exits for both Gakpo and Curtis Jones were “getting closer”. Instead, Liverpool’s internal view of Gakpo’s pre-season under Andoni Iraola has given fresh weight to the idea of keeping him and trying to unlock his full potential on Merseyside.

For Roberto De Zerbi, who wants Gakpo as part of his attacking rebuild, that represents a serious setback.

De Zerbi’s wish list vs market reality

The Spurs head coach is pushing for both Gakpo and Savinho, two wide forwards with very different profiles but similar ceilings. The reality, as it stands, is that he may have to compromise.

With Gakpo now looking unlikely, attention has sharpened on Savinho. The Times report that Spurs remain in talks with Manchester City over the Brazilian after failing to land him last summer.

City are ready to cash in, even though Savinho signed a new contract in October. They know his value and are acting like it.

Back in July, the Daily Mail reported that Spurs were on the verge of finalising a £65m deal for the 22-year-old at the second attempt. That figure is no longer enough. According to The Times, City are now holding out for around £85m, a jump that forces Spurs back to the table if they want to get this one over the line.

Spurs’ spending power faces next big test

Tottenham have already made their intentions clear this window. Record-breaking moves for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have underlined a willingness to spend aggressively to reshape De Zerbi’s squad.

That recent track record means an £85m fee for Savinho, while inflated, is unlikely to scare them off on its own. Spurs have already agreed personal terms with the winger, removing one major obstacle and leaving the fee as the decisive battleground.

So the picture is sharpening: Gakpo, once thought to be edging towards London, now looks set to stay and fight for his place under Iraola at Liverpool. Savinho, by contrast, is firmly in play, but at a premium price that will test just how far Spurs are prepared to go to arm De Zerbi for the season ahead.