Cody Gakpo prioritises Manchester City as Liverpool open talks over potential £85million departure

Manchester City have opened discussions with Liverpool over a bold attempt to sign Cody Gakpo in a deal that could be worth £85 million, according to reports. The 27-year-old Dutch forward has informed Liverpool that if he is to leave Anfield he wants the move to be to the Etihad Stadium, a preference that complicates interest from Tottenham Hotspur and places the two Manchester clubs at the centre of a late-window negotiation. With only three days remaining in the transfer window, the timing is tight and the conditions attached by Liverpool are stringent.

Liverpool’s position is clear. The club want to complete the recruitment of two additional forward players before they will seriously contemplate sanctioning Gakpo’s departure. That stance reflects both the value they place on a player still contracted until 2030 and the need to protect squad depth at a delicate moment in the season. Gakpo signed a long-term extension only last year, giving the Reds a strong hand in any negotiations and ensuring they are under no immediate pressure to sell.

Barcola’s arrival and the left-sided question

Central to Liverpool’s calculations is the impending £123 million capture of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. The France international’s preferred position is on the left wing, the same area of the pitch where Gakpo has most often operated during his time at Anfield. The arrival of a high-cost specialist in that role inevitably raises questions about minutes and hierarchy, yet Liverpool have given no indication that Barcola’s signing automatically places Gakpo on the market. Instead they have framed any potential sale as conditional on further attacking reinforcements being secured first.

Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in 2023 for £44 million and has since recorded 51 goals in 182 appearances. Those numbers underline a consistent contribution across multiple campaigns. He found the net in the opening Premier League match of the current season against Newcastle United and provided an assist for Alexander Isak in the weekend victory over Nottingham Forest. Such recent involvement strengthens Liverpool’s argument that they are discussing the possible sale of an active, productive first-team player rather than a peripheral squad member.

City’s need and the Savinho precedent

Manchester City’s interest is driven by a specific vacancy. The champions sold Savinho to Tottenham for £85 million and are now seeking a wide forward to restore balance to their attacking options. The symmetry of the figures is hard to ignore. City are effectively looking to reinvest a similar sum in a player with a markedly superior goal return and greater experience of English football. Liverpool, fully aware of the fee City banked for Savinho, are expected to drive a hard bargain. From Anfield’s perspective, an £85 million valuation for a less prolific wide player sets a useful benchmark when discussing a proven Premier League performer still in his mid-twenties and tied to a long contract.

Tottenham remain interested, yet Gakpo’s stated preference for City reduces the likelihood that a move to north London will gather momentum unless negotiations with the Etihad collapse. For Spurs, the situation is further complicated by their own outlay on Savinho; any pursuit of Gakpo would represent a second major investment in the same area of the pitch within a short period. Liverpool’s insistence on a substantial fee only adds to the difficulty.

Form, value and negotiating leverage

Gakpo’s output dipped last season relative to his peak, but the broader body of work remains strong. In the 2024-25 campaign, during which Liverpool secured the Premier League title, he contributed 18 goals across all competitions. That return, combined with his versatility and residual contract length, gives Liverpool justification for resisting any offer that falls short of their valuation. The club’s public and private messaging has been consistent: two new forwards must arrive before any serious consideration is given to letting Gakpo leave, and even then the fee must reflect his importance.

The three-day window creates obvious practical pressure. Medicals, personal terms and the structuring of payments would all need to be concluded at speed if a deal is to be completed before the deadline. City’s recruitment staff are experienced in late-window transactions, yet Liverpool’s dual requirement—additional incomings plus a high fee—means the talks could still founder on timing or valuation. Barcola’s imminent arrival satisfies one attacking need; a second forward would be required before Gakpo is released, narrowing the list of realistic scenarios in which the Dutchman departs.

Squad management and player preference

From Gakpo’s perspective the preference for City is unambiguous. By informing Liverpool that the Etihad is his chosen destination should a sale occur, he has simplified certain aspects of the negotiation while complicating others. Clubs often prefer to present multiple options to a selling side; here the player has effectively limited the field. That clarity can accelerate discussions with City, but it also removes leverage that might have been gained from a genuine bidding contest involving Tottenham.

Liverpool, for their part, must balance the financial opportunity against the sporting risk. Selling a player who has already contributed this season, and who remains capable of influencing big matches, requires confidence that the incoming reinforcements will be of sufficient quality and readiness. The fact that the club are prepared even to open talks suggests they believe that threshold can be met, provided the other pieces fall into place.

A late-window test of priorities

The coming days will test how firmly each side holds its position. City must decide whether £85 million, or a figure close to it, is acceptable for a player who would arrive with minimal adaptation required. Liverpool must decide whether the combination of Barcola, one further forward and a large fee outweighs the cost of losing a squad member who has delivered consistently since 2023. Gakpo’s own stance is already known: if he leaves, it will be for Manchester City.

No agreement has been reached and the conditions set by Liverpool remain demanding. Yet the fact that talks have opened, that a valuation has entered the public domain, and that the player has expressed a clear preference, indicates that a late and unexpected chapter in the transfer window is under way. Whether it ends with Gakpo in sky blue or still in red will be determined by the ability of both clubs to satisfy the requirements each has placed on the table before the deadline closes.