Liverpool now has under a week to finalize its summer transfer business, with Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh among the targets for Andoni Iraola's side ahead of the deadline
Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander Isak during Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool.
Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander Isak during Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool.(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside via Getty Images)
In a weeks' time, Liverpool's roster — at least until January — will be set in stone. The transfer window will have closed by that point, and there is plenty of work remaining in the meantime.
It is never as simple as the Reds having left it late — there are numerous reasons why that has been the case — but the fact remains that the clock is ticking. At least two more signings in attack are required, and Andoni Iraola has not been shy of saying that.
"We will definitely sign some players," the Spaniard told Sky Sports last week. "Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1, because it is true that we are still quite thin."
Even if Liverpool was to bring in two forwards, however, with Bradley Barcola the number one option and Yankuba Minteh another who has been the subject of two bids, keeping Cody Gakpo — linked with Manchester City this week, and with longstanding interest from Tottenham — should be a priority.
A year ago, Liverpool sanctioned an $88 million (£65 million) exit for Luis Diaz, but while the offer was good for a player who wanted to move on and who was 28 years old at the time, he wasn't sufficiently replaced.
In Arne Slot's first season, Diaz and Gakpo drove one another to new heights and they netted 35 goals between them in all competitions.
Cody Gakpo during Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool.
Cody Gakpo during Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool.(Image: Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In his second campaign, the Dutchman didn't have anything like the same firepower down the flanks, with Mohamed Salah's performances also dropping off a cliff.
If Liverpool signed, say, Barcola and Minteh, that would leave those two plus Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz in wide areas (without Gakpo). It would also only leave Alexander Isak up top.
That, considering Hugo Ekitike is set to be out for a few more months yet, would leave Iraola without a high enough number of senior players to select from when the relentless schedule hits.
Keeping Gakpo, at least until Ekitike returns, would be the sensible stance, even if that means that the offers for him are lower when the January market — or maybe next summer — comes around.
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Iraola himself suggested on Friday that Gakpo can be a back-up number nine while Ekitike is sidelined, and so far, the Dutchman has been the best-performing Liverpool attacker this season by some distance.
It is only one game, yes, but Gakpo was good at St James' Park. Seeing him do something similar for Tottenham or Manchester City, while Iraola is light of options, would infuriate many.
Of course, if Liverpool could sign three attackers before the transfer deadline, that could change things. With under a week to go until the window slams shut, however, that feels unlikely. With that in mind, Gakpo should stay.