Liverpool Blocks Gakpo Move to Man City as He Becomes Central Figure

Cody Gakpo started the summer as a saleable asset. He begins the autumn as central to Liverpool’s plans.

The Dutch forward, fresh from an impressive World Cup and a sharp opening to the 2026/27 campaign, spent most of the window with one foot out of Anfield. Liverpool had quietly put a price on him. Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur both stepped forward, ready to pay it.

City pushed hardest. In the final days of the window, they moved for Gakpo as a replacement for Savio, confident the numbers stacked up. According to Dutch outlet Dagblad, Liverpool and Gakpo had an agreement on the financial terms that would allow him to leave. Both City and Spurs were prepared to meet a package worth around €100m.

Gakpo chose City. Then the door slammed shut.

As Dagblad reported, the collapse of the transfer “came as a complete surprise”. The terms were there, the money was there, and the player was ready. Yet on the eve of his expected exit, Liverpool told him he would not be allowed to join Pep Guardiola’s side. Any other move? Off the table as well.

Earlier this week, Gakpo held talks with the club’s owners, partly to clear the air after that dramatic U-turn. The message from Liverpool’s hierarchy is now filtering out: the forward is no longer a bargaining chip. He is a pillar.

Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke says Liverpool have effectively drawn up a new plan around the 25-year-old. Instead of cashing in, they intend to lean on him.

“Gakpo will be a key player for Liverpool this season, definitely,” O’Rourke said, pointing to the way the campaign has already begun to underline that stance. The Dutchman scored against Newcastle on the opening weekend and added a smart assist against Nottingham Forest. Early signs, but important ones.

The numbers are only part of the story. What really changed minds at Anfield was his versatility. Gakpo can play across the front line, drop into pockets, link play, press. In a squad still evolving under Andoni Iraola, that flexibility carries a premium.

“He’s such a versatile player for Liverpool, and I think that’s the key, Liverpool didn’t really want to lose that,” O’Rourke explained. City’s offer was “top dollar”, and Liverpool did more than just listen. They considered it. Hard.

Then they walked away.

The decision underlines Iraola’s influence. If the board were open to a nine-figure sale, the head coach was not prepared to lose a forward he believes will shape Liverpool’s season.

“That just shows that Andoni Iraola did not want to lose the Dutchman, because he knows that he will play a key role for his side this season in any success they do have,” O’Rourke added.

From almost heading to the Etihad to being recast as a cornerstone of Iraola’s project, Gakpo’s summer turned on a single, brutal twist. Now comes the real test: can he justify Liverpool’s late, emphatic change of heart?