Cody Gakpo Makes Liverpool Exit Decision as Manchester City Move Edges Closer

Cody Gakpo appears to have made his choice.

With the transfer deadline approaching on Tuesday, the Liverpool forward has reportedly turned down Tottenham in favour of a move to Manchester City, with negotiations now underway between the relevant parties.

The 27-year-old has attracted interest from both Premier League clubs this summer, but it now appears that a switch to north London is not the destination he wants.

Gakpo chooses Manchester City

Tottenham had remained interested in Gakpo despite recently completing deals for Manchester City pair Savio and Omar Marmoush.

However, the Dutchman is reportedly not keen on moving to Spurs and has instead opted for a move to City, where he would work under Enzo Maresca.

Talks are now understood to be taking place as the clubs attempt to reach an agreement before the window closes.

Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV in December 2022 in a deal reported to be worth £37million.

Since arriving at Anfield, he has established himself as an important member of the squad, registering 50 goals and 23 assists in 180 appearances across all competitions.

His current Liverpool contract runs until 2030, having signed a new five-year agreement only last year.

Gakpo still contributing for Liverpool

Despite the transfer speculation, Gakpo continued to feature for Liverpool in their latest Premier League fixture.

He started Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on the right flank and provided an assist as Liverpool fought back from behind.

After the match, manager Andoni Iraola was asked whether Gakpo could continue operating in that position.

“With the wingers, obviously normally they have a preferred position, but we normally analyse the match-ups, analyse what they have to do on one side, what they need to do on the other side,” Iraola explained.

The Liverpool boss also revealed that Gakpo was close to being substituted before the decisive stages of the match.

“I think he [Gakpo] was going to be one of the subs when we scored the goal, he made a great play and then we were creating momentum,” Iraola said.

“I decided to leave them a little bit more – three, four minutes – to see if we could use this momentum to score a second one.”

Liverpool ultimately made their changes once that momentum faded.

“That goal and the other one were, I think, very good goals,” Iraola added.

Iraola still waiting for transfer clarity

Gakpo’s reported decision comes as Liverpool continue to work on their own transfer business.

The club are closing in on Bradley Barcola, with Iraola admitting after the Forest draw that he is eager for the uncertainty surrounding his squad to end.

Asked whether Liverpool could make any further additions before Tuesday’s deadline, he said: “I cannot tell you anything different right now. It’s true that there are things going on, like normal because we are talking about the last weeks of the market, but now we have to wait.”

The manager wants to reach September 2 knowing exactly which players he has available.

“I’m looking forward to having the squad [on] September 2, [so we can say] this is who we are and working with certainties,” Iraola said.

“Now everything is quite like uncertain and it’s the same for every team, but it’s how the competition works. Now we have to wait just some [more] days and work with what we have after the market closes.”

With Gakpo reportedly favouring Manchester City over Tottenham and talks now taking place, Liverpool could be facing a major change to their forward line just as Barcola prepares to arrive.

The clock is ticking toward Tuesday’s deadline — and Gakpo’s next move could be one of the biggest deals still to be completed.