Cody Gakpo has asked to leave Liverpool, and Tottenham are reportedly first in the queue. According to Dutch outlet SoccerNews, the Netherlands winger wants out following Arne Slot's sacking and the appointment of Andoni Iraola — and Spurs are working behind the scenes to make a summer move happen.
The timing makes sense. Gakpo endured a difficult 2024/25 campaign by his own standards, one that mirrored a broader Liverpool slide — a fifth-place Premier League finish and no silverware after winning the title the season before. With a new manager arriving whose tactical preferences are unknown, Gakpo has apparently decided not to wait and see where he fits.
Spurs are building something — and Gakpo fits the blueprint
Tottenham have moved quickly this summer. Andy Robertson has already been confirmed, Marco Senesi is set to join from Bournemouth, a bid has gone in for Brighton's Van Hecke, and a move for Man City's Savinho has been described as a 'done deal' by Fabrizio Romano. Gakpo would be signing number five — and arguably the most eye-catching of the lot.
Roberto De Zerbi's appointment as Spurs manager is the key thread here. The Italian's system at Brighton demanded technically gifted, high-press wingers who could combine in tight spaces and hurt teams on the counter. Gakpo — at his best — fits that profile well. Whether De Zerbi can get him back to that level is the real question.
SoccerNews note that clubs from Spain and Germany are also circling, so this won't be a straightforward deal. Liverpool won't sell cheap, and Gakpo's market value is still significant despite a down year. Spurs' Gakpo odds on the transfer market just shortened considerably though — early movers tend to get the deal done.
Liverpool's mood music, according to Heskey
Former Reds striker Emile Heskey didn't hold back when reflecting on Slot's exit, telling Betfred: "That's modern football. The owners, the Chief Exec and the rest of the hierarchy don't sack managers, the fans do."
His warning to Liverpool supporters carries weight: "We don't want to go down the route that Manchester United have been down. Mikel Arteta finished 8th, 8th and then 5th and his club didn't sack him and look where they are now? Liverpool fans need to be careful what they wish for."
If Gakpo does follow Slot out the door, that's two high-profile Dutch departures in the same window. It's the kind of momentum shift that can define a rebuild — or derail one before it starts.
