Tottenham Targets Cody Gakpo as De Zerbi Seeks More Attacking Options

Tottenham’s summer of excess is not over yet. After tearing into the market to rebuild midfield and defence, Roberto De Zerbi now wants his headline act out wide – and Cody Gakpo has moved onto Spurs’ radar.

The Tottenham head coach has been clear: he wants at least one more wide attacker, and he wants quality. The club have already thrown £237m at this window, including a £100m club-record move for Sandro Tonali and an £85m deal for Mateus Fernandes, but De Zerbi is still pushing. His word for what comes next has already set the tone: “bomba”.

Spurs circle Gakpo – but Liverpool hold the cards

Tottenham are interested in signing Cody Gakpo from Liverpool this summer, seeing the Netherlands international as a potential marquee addition to De Zerbi’s front line.

Liverpool, though, are in no mood to be bullied into a sale.

Gakpo has four years left on his contract and remains one of the more experienced forwards in Andoni Iraola’s squad, with the added ability to cover centrally as a striker. That versatility has become even more valuable while Hugo Ekitike continues his rehab from an Achilles injury, leaving a clear need for depth through the middle.

Liverpool would not consider letting Gakpo leave without a replacement already through the door. Any deal would be expensive. Any negotiation, hard.

The Merseyside club are expected to make a formal approach to Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, but that move is its own saga. PSG value the 23-year-old France winger at £145m, a figure that instantly turns a straightforward succession plan into a high-wire act.

If Gakpo were to go and Barcola arrived, Liverpool’s wing options behind them would be thin: teenager Rio Ngumoha and new signing Victor Munoz would be the remaining wide alternatives. It is a scenario that underlines why Liverpool are wary of opening the exit door for Gakpo unless every other piece of the puzzle is perfectly aligned.

Savinho on the list as Spurs widen the net

Gakpo is not the only wide target under consideration in north London.

Tottenham have also explored a potential deal for Manchester City winger Savinho. City know the Brazilian wants to leave and join Spurs, but the Premier League champions are not ready to move. There has been no bid yet, and internally they want clarity on their own replacement options before they sanction anything.

Savinho signed a new contract last summer, a detail that immediately makes this another expensive chase. City will not allow him to go cheaply and, like Liverpool with Gakpo, they want their own succession plan in place before signing off on a sale.

For Spurs, the interest in both Gakpo and Savinho underlines the scale of De Zerbi’s ambition for his attacking unit. He is not looking for squad fillers. He is hunting difference-makers.

De Zerbi’s “bomba” promise

De Zerbi has not exactly played down expectations.

“The transfer market, it’s not finished for sure, but we completed 60 per cent of our project in the transfer market. Now we have another bomba!” he told football.london last week.

He confirmed the new arrival would be an attacker and, pressed on whether the deal was close, replied: “I hope, but it’s not finished for sure.”

That was not the only hint. De Zerbi also suggested Spurs could yet bring in “two, maybe three” more players before the window closes, insisting the squad still needs completing.

“Bomba in Italian is different from bomba in English,” he said. “You can write what you want, no problem, no pressure. But I said we have to complete the transfer market.

“I think we have some other players to complete the squad, and the players will be here in the next few days; for me, they are top players.”

Pressed on what “bomba” meant to him, De Zerbi pointed at the work already done: “I think Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Senesi, Robertson are bomba. For me, top player for us.”

The message is clear. Tottenham’s spending spree has been heavy, but De Zerbi still expects at least one more signing of that calibre in attack. Whether that proves to be Gakpo, Savinho or another target, he wants a statement.

Romero’s future hangs over the rebuild

While Spurs chase fireworks at the top end of the pitch, a cloud lingers at the back.

Atletico Madrid and Inter remain interested in Cristian Romero, the Tottenham captain who only a year ago signed a new deal and took the armband. Inside the club, there is an expectation that Romero will depart this summer despite that recent commitment.

De Zerbi has already been in touch with the Argentina international and plans to discuss his future when Romero returns from his post-World Cup break. In an interview with Football London, the Spurs boss suggested he does not want to stand in the defender’s way if he decides to leave.

Inter have already moved for John Stones to strengthen their centre-back options, and a deal for Romero has long been seen as financially complex. One possible trigger could be Benjamin Pavard’s departure, which might free up both the funds and the squad space Inter need to meet Tottenham’s demands.

So Spurs stand at a delicate point in their summer: a “bomba” attacker potentially on the way, a captain potentially on the move, and a transfer plan De Zerbi insists is only 60 per cent complete.

If this is the middle of the story, what does the final act of Tottenham’s window look like?