Cody Gakpo is apparently a wanted man this summer, with Tottenham said to be keeping a close eye on the Liverpool forward. It makes for an intriguing bit of transfer gossip, and honestly it is the kind of deal that deserves a proper look rather than just a knee-jerk reaction either way.
Gakpo has had a mixed time at Anfield since arriving from PSV in January 2023. There have been some genuinely good moments, a few big goals, and flashes of the form that made him one of the most exciting attackers in European football. But consistency has been the issue. Liverpool have Mohamed Salah, and when you are playing in the same forward line as him, it is very easy to get lost in the shuffle.
So where does Tottenham come in? Roberto de Zerbi likes his wide forwards to be intelligent, press hard, and contribute to build-up play rather than just standing on the shoulder of the last defender waiting for a through ball. Gakpo can do all of that. He is comfortable on either flank, he is technically tidy, and he reads the game well enough to thrive in a system that demands a lot of off-ball movement.
The data backs this up too. Gakpo consistently puts up solid numbers for progressive carries and chance creation, and his pressing metrics are decent for a forward of his profile. He is not going to give you thirty goals a season, but he is the type of player who makes the team function better when everyone is clicking.
The honest question is whether Spurs are ready to pay Liverpool what they would want for him, because Liverpool are not exactly desperate to sell. And there is always the slight risk that a player who has found regular starts hard to come by suddenly wilts under the pressure of being the main man rather than a squad option.
Still, on balance, the fit looks reasonable. De Zerbi needs clever, versatile attackers and Gakpo ticks enough boxes to make this worth pursuing. Whether the numbers add up is another matter entirely.
Let me know your thoughts.