Cody Gakpo: Liverpool Faces Spurs Interest in Forward

Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has become one of the most intriguing names of the summer window, a forward caught between potential and production, and now at the centre of serious interest from Tottenham.

Spurs are understood to be exploring a move that could reach £70 million, a fee that would hand Liverpool a sizeable profit on the deal that brought him from PSV for under £45m. From a pure business standpoint, it is the sort of margin owners dream about. From a footballing standpoint, the question is far more complex.

A talent that hasn’t quite taken off

Gakpo arrived on Merseyside as a proven goalscorer from Eindhoven, a versatile attacker who could drift in from the flank or spearhead the front line. In the Premier League, he has shown flashes of that player. Not enough of them.

Liverpool have seen moments – bursts of sharp movement, clever link play, clinical finishing – but not the sustained output expected of a forward in Jürgen Klopp’s high-octane system and, now, in the new era under Andoni Iraola. The inconsistency has opened the door to doubt. Is he central to the rebuild, or a valuable asset to cash in on?

Those doubts are not confined to the stands. Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen, speaking to GOAL, did not mince his words about Gakpo’s 2023-24 campaign.

“He was consistent last year, but consistently poor,” Owen said. “He had a good opening 10 games or something, but then for the rest of the season, he was pretty poor.”

That assessment will sting, but it reflects a wider frustration. Gakpo has already shown he can be “very effective in the Liverpool team”, as Owen pointed out, yet last season’s drop-off mirrored a broader slump across the squad. “It was a poor season,” he added, underlining that the Dutchman was far from the only underperformer.

Liverpool’s numbers game out wide

The debate inside Anfield is a delicate one. Liverpool are already light in wide areas. Letting Gakpo go without a clear replacement would be a major gamble for a club with ambitions on multiple fronts.

“I don't think that's an impossible one,” Owen said when asked if Liverpool should entertain offers. “I just think Liverpool are probably... If they lose him, they're already desperate for wide men. If they lose him, are you going into the season relying on Rio Ngumoha? If you've got a replacement, then I can see it.”

That is the crux. Liverpool, under Iraola, are expected to add to their attacking options, not strip them back. Gakpo’s mixed form has created a debate, not a definitive verdict. “His season last year was not very good,” Owen admitted. “However, he has proven over time that he is very good. That's an up in the air one.”

Right now, it is exactly that: a live situation with moving parts rather than a done conclusion.

Spurs push, Liverpool assess

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Tottenham are “in direct talks with Cody Gakpo’s camp over possible move this summer”. The discussions hinge on the overall financial package and, crucially, on Liverpool’s ability to secure reinforcements.

Tottenham’s interest is obvious. Ange Postecoglou wants flexible, front-foot attackers who can interchange positions and press aggressively. At his best, Gakpo ticks those boxes. At £70m, he would also represent a statement signing, a forward entering what should be his prime years.

Liverpool, for their part, have been heavily linked with France international Bradley Barcola. The Paris Saint-Germain forward, a Champions League winner at just 23, is seen as a potential fit if PSG open the exit door. Any serious move for Barcola would inevitably feed into the Gakpo equation: one in, one out, money recycled, squad reshaped.

Club vs country: two versions of Gakpo

What complicates everything is the version of Gakpo that keeps turning up in orange. On the international stage, the Dutchman continues to look like the player Liverpool thought they had signed.

He impressed again for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, carrying a threat, playing with freedom, and reminding everyone why Europe’s elite chased him in the first place. The contrast with his club form has not gone unnoticed.

Asked about why he seems more consistent for his country than for Liverpool, the Eindhoven native offered a simple explanation: “It’s a little bit different. How I play here, where the coach wants me to be, the freedom that I have at the club. That’s it basically.”

It is a revealing line. Role, system, freedom – these are not minor details for a player whose game relies on timing, space, and confidence. Spurs will believe they can unlock that international version of Gakpo on a weekly basis. Liverpool must decide whether they still can.

A decision that shapes two seasons

So the situation hangs in the balance. Tottenham push. Liverpool listen, but do not rush. The player himself will have a major say, weighing the security and status of Anfield against the promise of a central role in north London.

For Liverpool, this is not just about profit and loss on a balance sheet. It is about whether Cody Gakpo is part of the solution in the new era, or the means to fund it.

For Spurs, it is about seizing an opportunity before it slips.