Tottenham's Pursuit of Cody Gakpo Stalled by Liverpool

Tottenham’s chase for Cody Gakpo has hit a wall – and Liverpool have made sure everyone knows it.

Spurs have circled the Dutch forward all summer, sounding out the possibility of prising him away from Anfield. The interest is real, the intent is serious. The timing, though, could hardly be worse.

Gakpo, 27, is coming off a solid Premier League campaign: seven goals, five assists across 36 games. A steady presence, often decisive, and versatile across the front line. Liverpool rewarded that with a new long-term contract just a year ago, tying him down after what was viewed inside the club as a positive 2024/25 season.

So when Tottenham came knocking, the answer from Merseyside was blunt.

Liverpool slam the door – for now

Liverpool’s stance is clear. They want to keep Gakpo. That position only softens if they bring in attacking reinforcements – not one, but likely two.

talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, speaking on Hawksbee & Baker, laid out the landscape. Any club trying to negotiate for Gakpo at this stage, he said, has been warned it’s essentially a “fool’s errand”. Liverpool will reject everything until they know they have replacements lined up.

The logic is simple. The market is inflated, prices are spiralling, and Liverpool intend to use that to their advantage. If Spurs do put in a bid, the Reds are ready to point at recent big-money deals and demand a fee to match the current climate. No discount, no compromise, no early-window bargains.

Only once Liverpool secure the attackers they want will the door even be left ajar. The suggestion is that by mid-August, if business has gone their way, Gakpo’s situation could “change a little bit”. Not a fire sale. More a controlled decision, on their terms, at their moment.

Until then, Tottenham are effectively chasing a locked target.

Barcola at the centre of Liverpool’s plan

The key to everything sits in Paris.

Liverpool are expected to place an opening offer for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who has emerged as their top attacking target. The France international is keen on the move, even if personal terms are not yet agreed.

He is not the only name on their list. There is also interest in Ibrahim Mbaye, among others, as Liverpool look to reshape and deepen their forward line.

The equation is ruthless: two attackers in, then – and only then – does a Gakpo sale become a conversation rather than a non-starter.

Until those deals are in motion and close, Liverpool’s answer to Tottenham is a firm no.

Spurs push on with Savinho

Tottenham are not putting all their energy into one basket.

Alongside Gakpo, they are working on a move for Savinho, the highly regarded forward whose rights are controlled by Manchester City. Spurs have been in talks with City throughout the summer, probing the possibility of a deal.

Savinho has done his part. talkSPORT understands he has informed City of his desire to join Tottenham this window, having wanted the move as far back as last summer when the interest first surfaced.

The obstacle lies in Manchester, not London. City’s board currently have no intention of selling. Their stance is firm, even though the club may still look to bring in another attacker themselves. For now, Savinho remains theirs, and any change depends on a shift at the top of the Etihad hierarchy, not on Spurs’ willingness to pay.

Tottenham’s pursuit of Savinho is not a fallback to Gakpo either. According to Jacobs, the London club want both. Gakpo as a marquee wide forward, Savinho as another dynamic option. Ambitious, aggressive squad building – on paper.

Reality is proving more stubborn.

A window that could turn late

Right now, Spurs are stuck in a holding pattern. Liverpool won’t entertain Gakpo bids until their own incomings are secure. City won’t green-light Savinho despite the player’s wish to leave.

The pressure, then, shifts to the second half of the window. If Liverpool land Barcola and another forward, the Gakpo conversation reopens. If City soften their stance, Savinho’s move finally has a runway.

Tottenham know what they want. The question is whether the market, and two of England’s most powerful clubs, will let them have it before the clock runs down.