Manchester City and Liverpool are in advanced negotiations over the potential acquisition of attacker Cody Gakpo, with the transfer window's final three days set to determine whether the Netherlands international departs Anfield. According to reports from a major sports outlet, Gakpo has chosen Manchester City as his preferred destination should he leave Liverpool.
The 27-year-old winger has drawn concrete attention from both City and Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool are valuing Gakpo at £85m, and City have been encouraged by his interest in moving to the Etihad. His potential departure follows Liverpool's agreement to sign Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola in a deal valued at up to £123m, marking a significant investment in attacking reinforcements.
Despite the advanced talks surrounding Gakpo's exit, Liverpool's preference remains to secure an additional forward before sanctioning his departure this summer. The club has identified Brighton's Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr as targets to bolster their attacking options ahead of the transfer deadline. However, the valuation of both players has proved problematic, and Liverpool are expected to keep Gakpo unless they are able to revive a deal for a new winger before Tuesday's deadline.
Gakpo, who arrived at Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, has become a central figure in the club's attacking plans. Manchester City's entry into the pursuit for Gakpo comes as Tottenham continues to monitor the situation, with both clubs recognising the quality the winger brings to the Premier League.
What are City's alternatives?
Should negotiations with Liverpool stall, Manchester City could pivot to other targets. City have an interest in Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye, the 26-year-old Senegal international who was expected to join Tottenham. City's ongoing interest is set to see the Etihad club progress with a possible move for Ndiaye should the Gakpo development not materialise.
What happens next?
The timing of these negotiations reflects the intensity of activity in the final stages of the summer transfer window, with multiple clubs seeking to strengthen their squads before the market closes on Tuesday. The next step is expected to be club-to-club agreement talks between Liverpool and Manchester City over Gakpo. Gakpo's future remains one of the key storylines in the final three days of the window, with City still the preferred destination if he leaves Liverpool.
