Gakpo's Future at Liverpool: Sale Likely Amid Tottenham Interest
Liverpool’s title defence fell apart last season. Now one of its most high‑profile forwards may be about to follow.
Cody Gakpo, once a statement signing and a central piece of Liverpool’s attacking rebuild, is no longer untouchable. Fenway Sports Group have opened the door to a sale, and Tottenham Hotspur are circling, sensing an opportunity to raid Anfield for a winger whose future suddenly looks fragile.
Gakpo on the brink
Gakpo’s regression mirrored Liverpool’s. The 2025/26 campaign turned from a defence of the crown into a limp surrender, with performances tailing off and the spark that carried them to the title all but extinguished. Arne Slot paid with his job. The football was flat, the connection with the supporters broken, and FSG moved decisively to replace him with Andoni Iraola.
Gakpo became a lightning rod for frustration. Criticism from the fanbase grew louder as his influence waned, and talk of a summer exit gathered pace. Reports from the Netherlands suggested the winger was ready to ask out, wary of reduced minutes under Iraola and a fresh hierarchy of attacking options.
That noise has not gone unnoticed in north London. Tottenham, tracking the situation closely, see a chance to tempt a 121-goal forward away from Merseyside. And according to journalist David Lynch, Liverpool’s owners are not closing the door.
Speaking on Anfield Index, Lynch revealed the shift in stance behind the scenes.
He admitted he had expected Liverpool to ride it out with Gakpo for at least one more season under a new coach, accepting his flaws but banking on a reset under Iraola. Instead, the response he received from club contacts was stark: Liverpool are open to selling if the right bid lands on the table.
The message is clear. There is no guarantee Gakpo will be pushed out, but a serious offer will be taken seriously. For a player once considered a cornerstone of the future, that marks a significant change.
Lynch did, however, challenge the idea that Gakpo has already demanded a move. From the player’s side, the focus remains on the World Cup. The real decisions will come after that. By then, though, the market may be in full swing, and the sense is that there will be suitors ready to test Liverpool’s resolve.
If that happens, Liverpool are prepared to say goodbye.
Barcola: the £78m vision
Selling Gakpo would leave a hole in Iraola’s forward line. Liverpool know it. They are already mapping out what comes next.
Yan Diomande remains the top target, the name at the top of FSG’s summer agenda. A deal for Victor Munoz has already been completed, and a third winger arriving in the same window cannot be ruled out. Inside that planning sits a name that has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time: Bradley Barcola.
Lynch believes the idea of Liverpool moving for Barcola is not fantasy. Paris Saint‑Germain are understood to be open to cashing in at around €90m (£78m), and Liverpool are watching closely to see how that situation unfolds.
The chain of events is delicate. Gakpo would almost certainly have to go first, and his sale would likely come after his World Cup campaign, once his market value is clearer and interest solidifies. Only then could Liverpool seriously move for Barcola, and only if PSG are genuinely willing to sell.
Then comes the player’s choice. Barcola would have to pick Liverpool.
Competition is expected. Arsenal have been linked in the past, and a winger of Barcola’s profile will not be short of offers. Yet Liverpool’s admiration is long‑standing. Lynch has reported for some time that the Frenchman is firmly on their list of targets.
The attraction is obvious. Barcola can operate on either flank and through the middle, though he favours the left – precisely the area Gakpo currently occupies. His versatility, age profile and ceiling fit the model that has underpinned so much of Liverpool’s recent recruitment.
If Gakpo leaves, Liverpool will not view Diomande or youngster Ngumoha as like‑for‑like replacements. They would need another senior wide forward. In that context, a move for Barcola feels less like a fantasy and more like a logical next step, provided the financial and sporting dominoes fall into place.
Fabrizio Romano has already underlined Iraola’s admiration for Barcola and highlighted a contract detail that could strengthen Liverpool’s hand. The interest is real. The feasibility depends on timing, price, and Gakpo’s fate.
Diomande deal drags on
All of this plays out against a backdrop of frustration in another chase. Diomande remains the headline pursuit, with Liverpool locked in negotiations with RB Leipzig and the player’s camp growing impatient as they wait for a breakthrough.
Talk of a record‑breaking agreement being wrapped up in “one or two days” has only sharpened the sense of tension around the deal. Everyone involved knows Diomande is FSG’s priority. Until that saga reaches a conclusion, the rest of Liverpool’s attacking plans sit slightly in the shadows.
Yet the outline is there. A struggling title defence has already cost a manager his job. Now it could claim one of the club’s biggest attacking investments, with Gakpo’s future hanging in the balance and Barcola waiting in the wings as a £78m statement of intent.
Liverpool have made their position clear: the right bid for Gakpo will be accepted. The question now is who moves first – and whether the next chapter of Iraola’s front line is written around a rejuvenated Gakpo, or a new French star brought in to replace him.
