Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool are “not opening the door” for Cody Gakpo to leave, but that could change if Tottenham make a “formal offer”.
The Reds have already signed Victor Muñoz from Osasuna for around €40 million, but that won’t stop Liverpool from signing another top-quality striker.
Liverpool had already lost Mohamed Salah and were eyeing Yann Diomande before it became clear that his transfer preference was Paris Saint-Germain.
With Liverpool struggling to bring an elite striker to Anfield this summer, it is unlikely they will allow Dutch international Gakpo to leave despite his poor form last season.
Tottenham have already made five transfers this summer and with a £100m deal for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali imminent, Romano has said they are very keen on signing Gakpo.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Keep an eye on Tottenham because they are interested in the player. As things stand at the beginning of July, Liverpool are not opening the door to an exit. They are not telling Gakpo that he can leave and they are not telling Tottenham that negotiations can begin. That is not happening right now.”
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“At the moment the door remains closed from Liverpool’s side. We will have to see what happens later in the summer if Tottenham decide to make a formal offer. Right now there is interest, but if there is a formal offer then we will see how the situation develops.”
“So it’s definitely something to watch, but nothing is guaranteed at this stage.”
Could Liverpool now sign Barcola and give Spurs the chance to sign Gakpo?
Liverpool could now turn to PSG striker Bradley Barkola following the absence of RB Leipzig’s Diomande, but Romano has explained how difficult a deal could be.
Romano explained: “Another very important story came out of the France camp because Bradley Barcola spoke at the press conference.
“When asked about his future and what he plans to do during the transfer window this summer, Barcola said he is focused on the World Cup and doesn’t know what will happen next.
“Guys, let me tell you one thing. If a player wants to stay and is absolutely sure of it, he simply tells the media: ‘I’m staying.’ I’m staying at Paris Saint-Germain. We won everything two years in a row. There’s no reason to leave.”
“Barcola didn’t say that. That’s because the information I have is different from what many others are reporting. I told you in April, then again in May, again in June and again just two days ago that many people said that Barcola was not leaving Paris Saint-Germain and was not for sale. My information was always different. I always felt that there might be some movement regarding Barcola.”
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“Now the way the player leaves the door open to a different future is another important sign in this story.
“To sign Barcola you still need a huge financial package. You still have to convince Paris Saint-Germain financially, but the player is open to leaving. That’s the current reality.
“A new contract has already been discussed in the summer of 2025, but in the last 10 months there has been no agreement between Paris Saint-Germain, Barcola and his representatives. This means that if there is a major offer, there may be movement. It would still have to be a very significant offer.”
Romano added: “For example, Liverpool have Barcola at the top of their shortlist. I’ve been telling you this for months. Don’t forget Barcola. Don’t forget Barcola. Don’t forget Barcola. Now we’re here and Barcola has become one of Liverpool’s top targets.”
“It all depends on what Liverpool can do financially to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain.”
“We must also keep a close eye on Arsenal because many of you have been wondering if Barcola could be a target for them. At the moment Arsenal’s number one target remains Morgan Rodgers. If they can reach an agreement with Aston Villa, they will sign Morgan Rodgers. If they can’t, then Barcola could be an option.”
“At the moment, however, I still believe that Morgan Rodgers is the leading candidate to be Mikel Arteta’s new striker because Arsenal have had very good success with the player recently.”
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