Tottenham Hotspur back in direct talks with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo.
Tottenham are in direct talks with Cody Gakpo’s camp over a possible move this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, a meaningful step up from the informal contact reported back in July. Liverpool’s door saw itself firmly shut a month ago, with the club insisting they were “very happy” with Gakpo and had no intention of selling. [h/t Fabrizio Romano via X]
What appears to have shifted is not Liverpool’s affection for the player so much as the arithmetic around him, with Bradley Barcola’s pursuit of a move to Anfield from Paris Saint-Germain now advancing and creating a scenario where Liverpool could sanction Gakpo’s sale to help fund it.
Gakpo’s own position has been consistent throughout, which helps Tottenham’s case here. He is open to the move and has already spoken directly with De Zerbi, who is a genuine admirer rather than simply working through a shortlist. The obstacle has always been Liverpool’s valuation, with figures ranging from £65m to north of £70m, depending on what report you choose to see.
🚨⚪️ Tottenham are in direct talks with Cody Gakpo’s camp over possible move this summer, after approaches revealed in July.
Deal depends on Liverpool decision; doors closed back in July but now could depend on financial package/Barcola pursuit.#THFC are trying. pic.twitter.com/Soi9E1bkaL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 5, 2026
Resolve soon?
There is a wider chain of dominoes worth tracking here too. Liverpool’s own contacts with PSG over Barcola are not expected to move quickly, Romano has said as much himself, so anyone expecting a swift resolution on Gakpo should probably temper that expectation. There is also the question of what Liverpool actually do at centre-forward if both Gakpo departs and Alexander Isak, never the most durable of strikers, picks up another injury.
This has been one of the summer’s slower sagas for good reason. Liverpool were never going to weaken their forward line without a plan to replace the outgoing player, especially after losing the league’s best player in Mohamed Salah, and Barcola’s situation needed to move first for any player to see itself sanctioned.
Going by Romano’s recent set of Tottenham-related tweets, the Lilywhites still list Savinho as their leading priority out wide, with Gakpo very much running as a parallel pursuit rather than a fallback, which tells you how seriously De Zerbi rates him as a fit for this squad.
If Spurs can put together a financial package that satisfies Liverpool while Barcola’s arrival covers the gap Gakpo leaves behind, this could go from stalled to resolved fairly quickly.