Cody Gakpo's Transfer Update: Liverpool vs Tottenham

Cody Gakpo’s chances of swapping Liverpool for Tottenham Hotspur have taken a hit, with a key transfer update cooling what had looked like serious momentum – even as Spurs keep pushing hard for Manchester City winger Savinho.

For weeks, Gakpo has sat near the top of Tottenham’s attacking wishlist. The move, if it happened, would also hand Liverpool a sizeable boost in their own rebuild, with the Anfield club eyeing Paris Saint-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye in a double swoop that could cost around £155million.

Personal terms? Those were thought to be sorted. TEAMtalk revealed on Saturday that Spurs had reached an agreement with Gakpo on that front, and that the Dutch forward had told Liverpool he wanted to leave. An opening £60m bid from north London was said to be in the works.

Then came the pushback.

Liverpool stance cools Gakpo talk

talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has poured cold water on the prospect of Gakpo walking out of Anfield before the deadline.

“I don’t think it will happen,” he 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.”

That line jars sharply with an earlier claim from CaughtOffside, which suggested exits for both Gakpo and Curtis Jones were “getting closer”. Instead, Liverpool appear increasingly inclined to keep the 25-year-old, convinced new boss Andoni Iraola can unlock his full Premier League potential after an impressive pre-season.

For Tottenham, and for Roberto De Zerbi in particular, it complicates a clear plan. The Spurs head coach wants both Gakpo and Savinho through the door. He may have to compromise.

Savinho talks crank up

If Gakpo is slipping away, Savinho remains very much alive as a target.

According to The Times, Spurs are still in active negotiations with Manchester City over the Brazilian, having failed to get a deal over the line last summer. City are prepared to cash in despite tying the 22-year-old to a new contract in October, a decision that has strengthened their hand at the bargaining table.

The Daily Mail reported in July that Spurs were close to finalising a £65m agreement at the second attempt. That figure no longer looks enough. The Times now report City are holding out for closer to £85m, a sizeable jump that forces Spurs to rethink their numbers if they want to close the deal.

The London club have already done the groundwork on the player side. Personal terms with Savinho are in place, removing one major obstacle. The issue is the fee.

Spurs’ transfer intent on trial

Tottenham have already shown their teeth in this window. Record-breaking deals for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have underlined an aggressive, ambitious strategy under De Zerbi and the current hierarchy.

That recent spending makes it hard to rule anything out. An £85m outlay on Savinho would be steep, arguably inflated, but not out of character with the tone of their summer so far. Spurs have indicated they are prepared to pay at the very top end of the market for players they believe can transform the squad.

The equation is clear. Gakpo, for now, looks locked in at Liverpool, with Iraola keen to keep him and the club backing that judgement. Savinho, by contrast, is there for Tottenham if they are willing to push their offer to City’s asking price.

The clock is ticking. Do Spurs blink on the fee, or risk watching another elite wide option slip away?