Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is pressing the club’s board hard to finalise a transfer for Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo before the deadline.
De Zerbi has personally convinced Gakpo that he would be central to his plans at Spurs, a key development in moving the deal forward.
Tottenham’s interest in the 27-year-old Dutch international stretches back to June, when the club first began pursuing him seriously.
Spurs made an initial offer of around £60 million for Gakpo, but Liverpool rejected it swiftly, insisting they are under no pressure to sell.
According to Dutch outlet Soccernews, Tottenham are preparing a fresh proposal for Gakpo, with a deal potentially costing around £65 million.
Tottenham have already agreed personal terms in principle with Gakpo’s representatives, with the main obstacle being a fee agreement with Liverpool.
The urgency at Spurs has grown following their disappointing 3-0 defeat to Brentford in their Premier League opener, which exposed a need for attacking reinforcements.
De Zerbi views Gakpo as the missing piece in his attacking overhaul, particularly after the arrivals of Savio and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City.
The Tottenham manager values Gakpo’s versatility highly, seeing him as an option on the left flank but also capable of playing a central role when required.
A significant boost for Tottenham came when Liverpool agreed a deal in principle to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola in a package worth up to €140 million.
With Barcola arriving at Anfield, Gakpo would inevitably drop further down the pecking order, potentially making Liverpool more open to a sale at the right price.
Gakpo himself had a difficult 2025-26 campaign at Liverpool despite signing a new contract last summer, adding further motivation for a fresh start elsewhere.
Manchester City have also shown interest in the Netherlands international, creating the possibility of a bidding war developing between the two clubs.
City received significant funds from the high-profile departure of Rodri and could look to reinvest those proceeds into attacking reinforcements, giving them financial firepower.
However, Manchester City see Gakpo primarily as a squad depth option, whereas De Zerbi considers him a key figure in Tottenham’s new-look attack.
Gakpo is understood to be open to leaving Liverpool but will not agitate for a move or attempt to force his way out of Anfield.