Manchester City Target Gakpo as Winger Search Intensifies
Manchester City have turned their attention to Cody Gakpo as the clock ticks towards the transfer deadline, with the Liverpool forward now firmly on their radar, according to ESPN.
City have made enquiries about the Dutch international’s potential availability, sounding out the market as they weigh up late-window options. At this stage, though, there has been no direct approach to Liverpool and no formal bid on the table.
The need is clear. Savinho’s move to Tottenham has ripped a hole in City’s wide options and left the champions scrambling for another winger to carry the load in a season that will stretch deep into spring. Depth is no luxury for Pep Guardiola’s side; it is a requirement.
Gakpo has picked the perfect moment to remind everyone of his threat. He started and scored in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle, underlining the blend of movement and finishing that first attracted Premier League heavyweights to him.
Liverpool, for now, are holding the line. The club have maintained a firm stance this summer: they want to keep Gakpo. That resolve, though, is tied directly to what happens in the coming days.
Anfield’s recruitment team are busy trying to reshape their own attack. Talks remain active with Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola, as Liverpool push to add another versatile forward. At the same time, they have already seen two bids knocked back by Brighton & Hove Albion for winger Yankuba Minteh, a clear sign of how aggressively they are trying to reinforce the frontline.
If those deals finally break in Liverpool’s favour, the landscape changes. New arrivals could open the door for City, who would then have a narrow window to move from monitoring to making a serious play for Gakpo. They will not be alone in that race. Tottenham, fresh from landing Savinho, have also shown concrete interest in the Dutchman and are lurking as genuine contenders.
City are not putting all their hopes on one name. Alongside Gakpo, they are assessing other wide targets, including Chelsea winger Pedro Neto. The attack has already been given one fresh injection: a €40 million (£34m) agreement for Brazilian forward Allan from Palmeiras was wrapped up on Monday, adding another option across the front line.
But the rebuild at the Etihad is not confined to the flanks.
Midfield, once City’s great strength in depth, is being stripped back. Nico Gonzalez is close to sealing a move to Newcastle, another significant exit from a department already hit hard. His departure would follow those of Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders, all of whom have left the club during this window. For a side built on control and rhythm in the middle of the pitch, that represents a dramatic overhaul.
City’s response has been to spend big and move quickly. Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi has already arrived in Manchester to finalise his €100m switch from Lille, a statement signing aimed at anchoring the next iteration of Guardiola’s midfield.
And they are still not finished.
Interest remains alive in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, with City keeping a close eye on the Argentinian’s situation in London as the deadline creeps closer. Any late movement there would add another major piece to a rapidly changing squad.
All the while, the search for attacking firepower continues. Gakpo sits high on that list, a proven Premier League forward who fits City’s profile and could walk straight into a title-chasing dressing room.
Whether Liverpool’s own transfer business unlocks the door to the Etihad is now one of the window’s most intriguing questions.
