Tottenham Tests Liverpool’s Resolve Over Gakpo Amid Arsenal's Guimarães Pursuit

Tottenham Hotspur have found their headline act for the back end of the window. Now they have to find out how serious Liverpool really are about keeping him.

Cody Gakpo, whose form sagged worryingly last season, is the subject of a looming Spurs bid believed to be in the region of £70m as the north London club explore a move for the Dutchman. The numbers are big. The messages out of Anfield are bigger.

Liverpool sources have been keen to stress they “have no plans to sell Gakpo” and that it would take a huge sum to change that stance. The Athletic go even further, insisting Liverpool have “no intention of selling” – yet in the same breath acknowledge that any valuation would be judged against other deals in this market, including Morgan Rogers’ move to Chelsea. Translation: the door is bolted, but money has a way of finding the hinges.

For Spurs, newly cashed-up and increasingly ambitious, it would mean reaching for that XXL chequebook they have started to wave around. If they want Gakpo, this is no opportunistic raid. This is a test of Liverpool’s threshold.

Mudryk back in the shop window

At Chelsea, the traffic is moving in several directions at once. One of the more intriguing files on the desk is marked: Mykhailo Mudryk.

Fresh from the end of his doping ban, the winger has attracted enquiries from “multiple Premier League clubs”, according to the Mirror, with Coventry City the only side named so far. Coventry’s interest comes with a familiar face attached: Frank Lampard, back in the dugout and now in charge at the Championship club, has turned to his former employers to ask about Mudryk’s availability.

The Sun report that two other top-flight sides have also made contact, while three clubs from across Europe are monitoring the situation. It has even spawned the inevitable tabloid headline – “Mud Fight” – as Chelsea weigh up whether a player they invested so heavily in might now be more valuable as a trading chip than a project.

Coventry’s shopping list doesn’t end there. They are in the mix for Everton midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, who is also on the radar of clubs in Italy, Hull City and Ipswich Town. Hull, busy in the middle of the park, have already seen a second offer rejected for Augsburg’s Mert Kömür as they try to reshape their midfield options.

Arsenal push on Guimarães as super-club names swirl

Across north London, Arsenal have gone from admiring Bruno Guimarães from afar to sitting across the table. As reported by the Guardian, the Gunners have opened formal negotiations with Newcastle United over the Brazilian midfielder, with the two clubs understood to be around £10m apart in their valuations of the 28-year-old.

Arsenal’s week might not stop there. The Express claim the club could complete as many as six deals before the weekend is out, a blend of marquee moves and future bets. Alongside Guimarães, the names of Vinicius Júnior and Ferran Torres are being floated as potential attacking additions.

Reality bites hard on some of those, though. Barcelona are keen to tie Torres to a new contract, while the forward has also drawn interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid. That level of competition, and Barça’s desire to keep him, leaves any move to the Emirates looking remote for now.

On the outgoing side, Milan are tracking Gabriel Jesus as they look to add experience and mobility up front. Fábio Vieira and Christian Nørgaard are also described as unwanted, with Arsenal open to trimming the squad to make space and salary room for their planned incomings.

Behind the headline names sits a quieter, strategic play. Arsenal want to raid the domestic market for some of the country’s brightest teenagers. Blackburn’s 18-year-old forward Igor Tyjon, Cardiff’s 16-year-old midfielder Axel Donczew and Crystal Palace youngster Mylo Bernard – a 16-year-old forward – are all on their list. It is the kind of layering that has defined the club’s recent rebuild: stars for now, prospects for later, all moving in the same direction.

West Ham turn to Solomon and Parrott as Isidor blocked

West Ham United’s search for width has led them back to a familiar Premier League face. Tottenham’s Manor Solomon has emerged as a serious target, with the Hammers seeing the Israel international as a potential solution on the flank. Fiorentina are also in the race, and talks are already under way as both clubs probe Spurs’ willingness to deal.

One path, though, has already been shut down. Sunderland have decided they will not sell Wilson Isidor to West Ham, forcing the London club to pivot quickly in their hunt for a forward.

The response is bold. West Ham are preparing an £18m offer for AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott, whose performances have caught the eye across the continent. They will not get a free run at him either. Porto, Como, Ajax, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven are all in the frame, creating a crowded field for a player whose next step could define his career.

From Gakpo’s uncertain future to Guimarães’ tug-of-war and Parrott’s looming decision, the market is tightening. The chequebooks are open, the margins are thin, and one decisive move now could tilt the balance of an entire season.