Tottenham have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Cody Gakpo, with the Liverpool forward making clear he has no intention of forcing through a move to north London this summer.
Spurs have been strongly linked with the Dutchman for weeks, with Roberto De Zerbi keen to add another body to his attack after a summer that has already seen the club spend big on Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka. Reports had suggested Tottenham were ready to test Liverpool’s resolve with a package in the region of £70 million, hoping to prise Gakpo away as a direct addition to their forward line.
But Liverpool have consistently made clear they see no reason to sell, with the 27-year-old tied to a long-term deal at Anfield until 2030 and viewed as an important part of new boss Andoni Iraola’s plans, especially with Hugo Ekitike sidelined through injury following Mohamed Salah’s exit. Gakpo himself has echoed that stance, making it known that he remains committed to his current project and has no appetite to push for an exit despite the interest from Spurs.
Interest from elsewhere has also been given short shrift, with the Dutchman signalling he only has eyes on staying among Europe’s elite competitions for now, rather than entertaining offers that would take him away from that level.
For Tottenham, the message is a setback but not necessarily the final word, since any deal was always understood to hinge on Liverpool’s willingness to negotiate rather than Gakpo actively pushing to leave. Spurs remain active on other attacking targets, including Manchester City’s Savinho, as De Zerbi looks to complete his squad rebuild before the window shuts.
