Tottenham’s pursuit of Cody Gakpo appears to have been overtaken by Manchester City, with multiple reports on Saturday evening indicating the Liverpool forward has chosen the Etihad Stadium as his preferred destination.
The 27-year-old had been presented as a leading attacking target for Spurs during the final days of the window. Earlier reporting suggested Tottenham had even reached an agreement on personal terms, while Liverpool kept him involved by starting him in the draw with Nottingham Forest. The later update is that City and Gakpo have agreed terms in principle, leaving the two clubs to work on a transfer.
A fast-moving story with unresolved details
The reporting does not establish that a deal has been completed. There is no suggestion that Liverpool have formally accepted an offer, and the precise financial framework remains unreported. That distinction matters with little time remaining: player preference can move negotiations forward, but it does not remove the need for an agreement between two Premier League clubs.
Nor was the picture so clear earlier in the day. Reports first described Gakpo as weighing three outcomes: remaining at Liverpool, joining Tottenham or moving to City. Another account said his future would be decided after Liverpool’s match against Forest. The subsequent claim that he has opted for City represents a significant change in the race rather than confirmation of a long-settled plan.
Liverpool’s stance is also conditional in the reports. Their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is repeatedly presented as the development that could make Gakpo’s departure more realistic. The Reds are also said to be searching for another wide attacker following Mohamed Salah’s exit. Those two strands create a potentially awkward balance: Liverpool may be open to a sale, but they would not necessarily want to reduce their options before replacement business is secure.
Gakpo’s involvement against Forest, where he reportedly supplied an assist, therefore offered little definitive clue. Selecting a player amid transfer speculation can signal an intention to retain him, but it can equally reflect the absence of a completed deal and the need to use an available senior forward.
Why City’s interest has changed the equation
City’s apparent move is closely connected to Tottenham’s own business. Spurs have added Savio and Omar Marmoush from City, with reports describing Marmoush’s arrangement as an initial loan that includes an obligation to buy. Those departures have reduced City’s attacking depth and made Gakpo’s ability to play from the left or through the middle particularly useful.
For Tottenham, losing the race would be more than a missed opportunity for a versatile forward. Roberto De Zerbi has publicly indicated that he wants one further signing in a particular area before the deadline. His side have also begun the league season without a goal in their first two matches, following defeats to Brentford and Newcastle. That does not prove Gakpo was the sole answer, but it explains why a player able to cover several frontline roles had been attractive.
The urgency is heightened by uncertainty over possible exits. De Zerbi has said that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Ismaila Sarr have expressed a wish to leave, while Sarr has also had a minor injury. Any departures would alter Tottenham’s priorities again, particularly if the club cannot add the forward they had been pursuing.
Liverpool hold the key despite Gakpo’s preference
A City move would be notable because it would send Gakpo directly to a domestic rival rather than to Tottenham, but Liverpool remain central to the outcome. Reports say the clubs are in dialogue; they do not say negotiations are at the final-document stage. Liverpool must assess the value of a sale against the risk of strengthening a rival and the timing of their own recruitment.
There is also a wider issue neither strand of reporting fully answers: whether City see Gakpo as a replacement for outgoing attackers or as part of a broader overhaul. The club have also been linked with Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez, though that remains a separate and unconfirmed possibility. If City pursue more than one attacker, their plans could affect how aggressively they negotiate for Gakpo.
For now, the strongest reported development is Gakpo’s preference for City. Tottenham may have done groundwork with the player, but preference is not possession, and Liverpool’s incoming business could yet decide whether this late-window switch happens at all.