Cody Gakpo has informed Liverpool of his desire to leave Anfield this summer, according to Soccer News, with Tottenham Hotspur the frontrunners to land him. For a club still adjusting to life under Andoni Iraola, this is an awkward thing to land on the desk before pre-season even begins.
The 25-year-old arrived from PSV in January 2023, played a real role in Liverpool's 2024/25 title-winning campaign — 18 goals, seven assists — then signed a contract extension in September 2025. That extension now looks like either smart business or a complication, depending on which side of this you're standing on.
A dip that matters
After signing that deal, Gakpo's output fell. Nine goals and six assists across 52 appearances and 3,596 minutes isn't a disaster, but it's not what Liverpool need from a forward expected to make the difference in tight games. There's a version of that season where you chalk it up to a difficult transition period. There's another where you look at the numbers and understand why a player with real quality might want a fresh start somewhere he'll be built around.
Tottenham, under Roberto De Zerbi, are reportedly that somewhere. De Zerbi's system suits Gakpo — he can operate from the left, press with purpose, and holds the ball well enough to function as a link in a possession-heavy structure. Spurs are rebuilding, and a player with proven Premier League pedigree and positional flexibility makes sense for what De Zerbi is trying to construct.
Newcastle have been mentioned. Bayern Munich were previously linked but have since moved for Ismael Saibari, taking them out of contention. Tottenham are the ones with real, reported intent.
Liverpool hold the cards — but the player has made his position clear
The contract runs until 2030, which means Liverpool aren't being forced into anything. A fee in the region of €60m would at minimum demand serious consideration, but the club can afford to wait for the right offer rather than accept the first one that arrives.
The trickier question is Iraola's role in all of this. A manager who prizes pressing intensity and attacking aggression might actually see things in Gakpo that last season's setup didn't unlock. Or he might already have a different profile in mind and be quietly fine with moving on.
Either way, Gakpo has reportedly made his position clear. Once a player reaches that point, persuasion rarely works — and Liverpool, more than most clubs, know the cost of keeping someone who's already halfway out the door. The €60m question is now Tottenham's to answer.
