Cody Gakpo's Future: Will Tottenham Secure the £72m Deal?
Tottenham have already thrown their weight around this summer. Around £230 million has gone on Sandro Tonali, Matheus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. That is not a rebuild. That is a revolution.
And yet, the squad still feels one attacker short.
Ange Postecoglou’s side want another winger and potentially a striker before the window slams shut. The list of names is shrinking, the prices are not, and one situation in particular is beginning to take shape on Merseyside.
Liverpool’s stance begins to shift
Liverpool’s wide options are already thin. They have brought in Victor Munoz, but a genuine long-term successor to Mohamed Salah has not walked through the door yet. That gap has defined their planning all summer.
Gakpo did not escape criticism last season. The 2025/26 campaign was a flat one by his standards, part of a wider drop-off in Liverpool’s attacking fluency. Even so, he remains a valuable asset: versatile, in his prime years, and tied down for another four seasons.
That contract gives Liverpool leverage. It also sets the stage for a serious fee.
Inside the club, the Anthony Gordon deal has become a reference point. Newcastle United’s sale of Gordon to Barcelona for £69m has been used as a benchmark, with Liverpool said to be holding out for roughly £72m for Gakpo. If anyone wants him, they will have to pay as if they are buying a cornerstone, not a reclamation project.
Yet something has changed in recent hours. Liverpool have accelerated their push for Bradley Barcola and another PSG player, and one of those pursuits has already been given the green light. As those negotiations gather pace, the Gakpo question grows louder.
This is where Tottenham enter.
Romano: Two conditions for a Spurs breakthrough
Fabrizio Romano has laid out the situation in stark terms. Speaking on X, he confirmed that Tottenham are no longer just admirers.
“Tottenham are in direct talks with Cody Gakpo’s camp over possible move this summer, after approaches revealed in July,” he reported.
Back then, Liverpool shut the door. Now, according to Romano, the move hinges on two factors: the financial package Spurs are prepared to put on the table, and the outcome of Liverpool’s pursuit of Barcola.
“Deal depends on Liverpool decision; doors closed back in July but now could depend on financial package/Barcola pursuit. #THFC are trying.”
That is the equation. If Liverpool land Barcola and the money is right, Gakpo can go. If either piece falls apart, the Dutchman stays put.
For Spurs, this is both an opportunity and a test. They are negotiating with a club that does not need to sell, for a player with four years left on his deal, priced against a £69m Premier League export. Any discount feels unlikely.
Spurs widen the net for a striker
While the Gakpo talks unfold, Tottenham are not putting all their hopes on one deal. The winger chase runs alongside a parallel search for a striker.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, outlined the picture.
“Tottenham are exploring the possibility of signing a striker this summer,” he said, adding that several names have been discussed internally, including Omar Marmoush.
Nicolas Jackson’s name has also surfaced in recent reports, but Romano moved quickly to cool any sense of urgency around that link.
“For Nicolas Jackson, despite reports over the last 24 hours, there is nothing close or imminent with Tottenham. He is not a priority and there are no advanced negotiations. He is simply one of several names discussed internally.”
Jackson’s situation is complicated further by Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side view him as one of their priority targets, but their room for manoeuvre is tight. Villa have already taken Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Chelsea, which blocks them from bringing in another Chelsea player on loan in the same window.
Any move for Jackson, then, has to be permanent. That means a fee, not a temporary fix, and whether Villa can stretch that far remains uncertain.
One thing is clear: Emery would push hard if the numbers work. He knows Jackson well from their time together at Villarreal, and that relationship matters. As Romano put it, they have an excellent rapport, and Emery would welcome the chance to work with him again.
A window defined by one big swing
For Tottenham, the pattern of the summer is obvious. The defence has been reinforced, the midfield reshaped, the spine thickened with serious investment. The next step is to add a forward who can change games at the sharp end of the pitch.
Gakpo fits the profile: Premier League proven, tactically flexible, and available if Liverpool’s own attacking puzzle falls into place. The price is heavy, the conditions strict, but the door, finally, is ajar.
Now it comes down to two clubs, one financial package, and whether Liverpool’s move for Bradley Barcola reaches the finish line.
If it does, Tottenham may yet have one more statement signing in them. If it doesn’t, they will be left to look elsewhere, knowing that this window — and perhaps the ceiling of their season — could hinge on the one attacker they fail to bring in.
