Tottenham Targets Cody Gakpo Amid Liverpool Interest
Tottenham’s hunt for a headline forward has led them to an ambitious, complicated target: Cody Gakpo.
Roberto De Zerbi has already torn into Spurs’ squad this summer, reshaping midfield and defence with heavyweight signings. Now he wants width. Pace. Goals from the flanks. At least one wide attacker is on his list, and Gakpo has moved firmly into view.
Spurs circle Gakpo – but Liverpool hold the cards
Tottenham’s interest in the Liverpool forward is concrete. Gakpo, still only 25, is one of the more seasoned attackers in Arne Slot’s squad and offers something every manager craves: versatility. He can operate wide, drift inside, and cover through the middle as a striker. That last point matters. Hugo Ekitike is still working his way back from an Achilles injury, and Liverpool’s cover through the centre is already under strain.
Liverpool, though, are in no mood to weaken themselves. Gakpo has four years left on his contract. He would not be cheap, and he would not be allowed to walk out without a replacement already in the building. The plan at Anfield is clear: sell only from a position of strength.
That is where Bradley Barcola comes in.
Liverpool are expected to make a formal move for the Paris Saint-Germain winger. Barcola, 23, is highly valued in Paris – to the tune of around £145m – and prising him away will be anything but straightforward. PSG know what they have, and they are pricing accordingly.
If Liverpool did manage to land Barcola and then sanctioned Gakpo’s sale, the picture on the wings would look starkly different. Behind the new arrival, Slot would be leaning on teenager Rio Ngumoha and new signing Victor Munoz as alternative wide options. It would be a bold reshaping of the attack and a major show of faith in youth.
For now, everything hinges on that domino: Barcola in before Gakpo out.
The ‘bomba’ De Zerbi keeps teasing
Around north London, one word has followed De Zerbi all summer: “bomba”.
The Spurs head coach has been open about the scale of the rebuild and the ambition behind it. The club have already spent £237m, with Sandro Tonali arriving for a club-record £100m and Mateus Fernandes joining for £85m. Big statements, big numbers.
“The transfer market, it’s not finished for sure, but we completed 60 per cent of our project in the transfer market. Now we have another bomba!” he told football.london last week.
He confirmed that the new arrival he has in mind will be an attacker. When pressed on how close that deal might be, he kept the door slightly ajar: “I hope, but it’s not finished for sure.”
Two, maybe three more signings could follow, he suggested. The idea is not simply volume, but quality that changes the level of the squad.
De Zerbi has been keen to clarify what he means by “bomba” in Italian. It is not just a flashy headline or a social media buzzword. For him, “bomba” describes a top player, a game-changer. He namechecked Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Senesi and Robertson as examples – players he believes elevate Spurs.
Who fits that description next? Gakpo would. So would another winger Spurs have quietly been working on.
Savinho waits on City and Spurs
Tottenham have also explored a move for Manchester City winger Savinho. The Brazilian wants the move. City know it. Spurs know it.
But desire alone does not move a player.
City are yet to receive a bid and are not ready to act. Savinho signed a new contract only last summer, which instantly makes any deal expensive. On top of that, City will not sign off on his departure without a replacement lined up. Their stance mirrors Liverpool’s: nobody leaves unless someone of real quality walks in behind them.
So Savinho waits. Spurs wait. And De Zerbi, still talking about his “bomba”, keeps pushing for the wide attacker he believes will complete the picture.
Romero interest grows as Europe watches Spurs
While Spurs chase attackers, Europe’s heavyweights are circling their captain.
Atletico Madrid and Inter remain keen on Cristian Romero. Just a year after being handed the armband and signing a new deal, there is a growing expectation that the Argentina international could depart this summer.
De Zerbi has already spoken with Romero and plans to revisit the defender’s future when he returns from his post-World Cup break. The message from the head coach has been consistent: he will not stand in Romero’s way if the centre-back genuinely wants to leave.
Inter, for their part, have already moved to strengthen at the back with John Stones. A deal for Romero was always viewed as financially complex. One scenario could change that. Should Benjamin Pavard leave Inter, the Italian club would gain both the funds and the squad space to make a serious push for Romero and meet Spurs’ demands.
For Tottenham, it creates a delicate balance. They are building a new-look side around De Zerbi’s ideas, spending heavily and chasing a marquee wide forward. At the same time, they may have to fend off – or reluctantly accept – major offers for their captain.
Gakpo, Savinho, Barcola, Romero. Names that will shape the rest of Spurs’ summer. The question now is simple: which of those deals will explode into the “bomba” De Zerbi keeps promising, and which will leave Spurs scrambling in the final weeks of the window?
