Cody Gakpo: Manchester United's Long-Standing Interest Amid Liverpool's Dilemma

Manchester United’s long-held admiration for Cody Gakpo is back in the spotlight, raising the prospect of one of English football’s most explosive transfer storylines – a Liverpool forward in red, but the wrong red.

The idea still feels taboo. United and Liverpool simply do not trade. Not for starters, not for squad men, and certainly not for a 27-year-old attacker in his prime. Yet the interest is real, and it has been for years.

United’s old crush, Liverpool’s current puzzle

Gakpo arrives at this juncture off the back of a flat domestic season at Anfield. Nine goals and six assists in 52 games is serviceable, not spectacular, especially when held up against the 18 goals and seven assists he produced in just 49 outings the year before. The step back has been obvious.

On the international stage, he reminded everyone what the fuss was about. At the World Cup he looked like the player Liverpool thought they were stealing from under United’s nose: three goals and one assist in four matches, carrying a real threat before the Netherlands’ shock round-of-32 exit to Morocco.

Liverpool now need that version of Gakpo again. They may even need him to evolve. With Alexander Isak expected to shoulder a heavy load through the middle and Hugo Ekitike sidelined until at least January with a ruptured Achilles, the Dutchman is one of the few in the squad who can realistically shift inside and operate as a central forward when required.

That is Liverpool’s plan. Or at least their hope.

Calm at Anfield, noise elsewhere

Around Anfield, there is no sense of panic. No internal push to move him on. Reports in the Netherlands that Gakpo has asked to leave have been knocked back, and Ben Jacobs underlined that stance in an interview with The United Stand.

“There are denials, despite recent reports in the Netherlands, that Gakpo has asked in any way, shape, or form to leave,” Jacobs said, adding that Liverpool remain “quite calm” about the situation.

Yet the market rarely stays quiet when a big name’s form dips and his role looks fluid. Tottenham Hotspur have placed Gakpo on their winger shortlist, and, according to Jacobs, Spurs currently stand as the most concrete suitor.

The key line from the reporter will not go unnoticed at Old Trafford: “All we can say is Man Utd loved Gakpo before he joined Liverpool.”

The transfer that never was

United’s interest in Gakpo is not a new subplot. Erik ten Hag pushed hard for him in 2022, identifying the PSV star as the ideal attacking signing as he tried to reshape United’s forward line. At that point, Gakpo was the standout talent in Eindhoven, the most exciting player in the Eredivisie, and seemingly destined for Old Trafford.

Liverpool moved faster. They agreed a £35m deal in December, closed it ahead of the January window, and left United to rethink their plans. The sense that United missed their moment has lingered ever since.

Even so, the club have not stopped tracking him. His numbers, his role under different managers, his performances for club and country – all of it has been monitored from Manchester.

Tottenham in pole, United lurking

Right now, though, any path out of Anfield looks more likely to run through north London than across the M62.

Spurs are exploring wide attacking options and Gakpo sits in a competitive group. He is being considered alongside Rafael Leao, Savinho and Antonio Nusa, with Tottenham weighing price, availability and fit. Among those names, Gakpo offers Premier League experience and proven versatility, two traits that carry weight for a club trying to refine, not rebuild, their forward line.

Liverpool are not actively hawking him around. But they are not blind to the market either. A serious offer in the region of £70m would force a conversation. At that figure, a player who has yet to fully convince as a consistent Premier League match-winner becomes a strategic asset as much as a tactical one.

That is the reality: Gakpo is not on the shelf, yet he is not untouchable.

The line that’s almost never crossed

And then there is United. The admiration is there, the history is there, the need for more attacking depth is always there. What stands in the way is something far more entrenched than a transfer fee.

“He has always been somewhat appreciated, but we know that Man Utd and Liverpool just don’t really do business,” Jacobs pointed out. That sentence carries more weight than any scouting report. The rivalry is not just emotional; it is structural. Direct transfers between the two giants are almost non-existent in the modern era.

For that to change, several pieces would have to fall perfectly into place. Gakpo would have to specifically push for the exit. Liverpool would have to accept the optics of strengthening a historic rival. United would have to decide that the political storm is worth the footballing gain.

Right now, the scenario that actually feels plausible is simpler: if Gakpo does ask to go, Tottenham are ready to move, and Liverpool are prepared to listen at the right price.

United’s long-term interest lingers in the background, a reminder of a deal they once wanted badly and lost. The question now is not whether they like Cody Gakpo. It’s whether they would ever dare to test that boundary with Liverpool – and whether Liverpool would ever let them.