Cody Gakpo has been heavily linked with a move away from Liverpool with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur interested
Cody Gakpo will remain at Liverpool.
Cody Gakpo will remain at Liverpool.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
View Image
Liverpool have reportedly made the decision to block Cody Gakpo's £80m move to Manchester City, according to The Athletic.
The 27-year-old appeared set to leave the Reds in a high-profile departure with City and Tottenham Hotspur interested. However, Anfield chiefs have turned down an offer from their Premier League rivals, with Gakpo now set to remain on Merseyside.
Reports suggested Gakpo was ready to swap Liverpool for Manchester, in the wake of Andoni Iraola's side striking an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, who was announced as the latest summer arrival on Monday.
Liverpool bid farewell to a host of experienced figures this summer with Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones joining Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah out of the exit door. The Reds' pursuit of reinforcements saw them miss out on Yan Diomande before a protracted pursuit of Barcola was eventually successful.
Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr have been heavily linked with moves to Liverpool as uncertainty intensified over Gakpo's future in L4. But The Athletic claim that City's £75m bid plus £5m in add-ons has been turned down, forcing Enzo Maresca's side to focus on landing a move for Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez.
Gakpo has scored and assisted in the Reds' opening two Premier League matches. The Dutchman was deployed on the right wing against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, teeing up Alexander Isak for his first goal of the season, during the 2-2 draw.
*FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page*
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk lay down the gauntlet on Saturday afternoon when asked about his reaction to the news that he could see another Premier League-winner exit this summer.
The 35-year-old said: "What do you think? He's a quality player. I think we should keep quality players.
"Let's see what the next few days bring. I want him to stay not only because he's a quality player but also because he's a friend of mine. He's very important for us."
Gakpo's departure would have sparked a scramble in the closing hours of the transfer window, which slams shut at 11pm on Tuesday (September 1). Reports elsewhere suggested that Liverpool would not sanction an exit for the Dutch forward without a replacement already sourced.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool will still push for attacking reinforcements with Salah replacement, or out-and-out right winger, sourced. Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz have both played in that position this season with the Spaniard scoring the equaliser on Saturday from the right.
Content Image
Content Image