Cody Gakpo Requests Transfer to Tottenham Hotspur
Cody Gakpo has told Liverpool he wants out – and his preferred destination is clear. He wants to join Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur project.
The Dutch forward’s camp has already shaken hands on personal terms in principle with Spurs and, crucially, has now gone directly to Liverpool’s hierarchy to spell out his stance. In those talks, Gakpo made it plain: he no longer sees his long-term future at Anfield and wants the chance to restart his Premier League career in north London.
Squeezed out at Anfield
At 27, Gakpo can see the writing on the wall. The competition for attacking spots at Liverpool is fierce and only getting fiercer. On the left, Rio Ngumoha has jumped ahead of him in the pecking order. Through the middle, Alexander Isak leads the line, with Hugo Ekitike still to return to full fitness and add another body to the mix.
That landscape has forced a brutal realisation. Minutes will be hard to come by. Big games even harder. Rather than drift into a rotational role, Gakpo has decided he wants a fresh challenge while he is still in his prime.
De Zerbi’s pitch turns Gakpo’s head
Roberto De Zerbi has done his part. The Tottenham head coach has communicated directly with Gakpo’s representatives and laid out exactly how he sees the winger fitting into his plans. The message has landed.
Those close to the player say he has been hugely impressed by De Zerbi’s vision and by the clarity of his role in it. This is not a bit-part brief. Gakpo believes he would be a central figure in a new-look Spurs front line and that prospect has become a major pull.
Tottenham’s recruitment strategy backs that up. They want another forward and remain in the hunt for Manchester City’s Savinho as well, with the belief inside the club that both Gakpo and Savinho can be brought in to reshape the attack.
One of the big selling points is Gakpo’s versatility. Spurs see him as someone who can operate off the left and also through the middle, giving De Zerbi flexibility across the front three and another high-level option to rotate positions in-game.
Liverpool’s stance – and the price
Liverpool, for now, are holding their ground. The Reds have set their valuation at more than £60 million and are not prepared to entertain anything below that threshold.
Sources indicate Tottenham are ready to test that resolve properly. Their upcoming offer is expected to match Liverpool’s asking price, a move that has significantly raised the likelihood of a deal getting done.
Behind the scenes, Liverpool are not standing still. The club are already pushing ahead with their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola. Progress on that front is growing, and there is a growing sense within the corridors of power at Anfield that if Barcola can be secured, Gakpo’s exit will be easier to sign off.
If Spurs now put that £60m-plus bid on the table and Liverpool lock in a replacement, Gakpo’s Anfield chapter may close far sooner than anyone expected when he first arrived on Merseyside.
