--- title: "Manchester City opens talks for Gakpo: Liverpool ready to let go of attacking star for £85m" description: "Manchester City officially approached Liverpool on Saturday evening for the transfer of Cody Gakpo for around £85m. The player prefers City over Tottenham, while the \"Reds\" want to sign a replacement first." date: 2026-08-30T12:04:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/manchester-city-opens-talks-for-gakpo-liverpool-ready-to-sell-for-85m tags: [manchester-city, liverpool, cody-gakpo, transfer, premier-league] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Manchester City opens talks for Gakpo: Liverpool ready to let go of attacking star for £85m ![Cody Gakpo in a Liverpool kit amid Manchester City transfer talks worth 85 million pounds](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/30/manchester-siti-transfer-gakpo-iz-liverpulya/manchester-siti-transfer-gakpo-iz-liverpulya-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Manchester City established official contact with Liverpool over Gakpo on Saturday evening, three days before the window closed. - Gakpo prefers a move to City despite interest from Tottenham. - The player's departure became more likely after Liverpool agreed to the transfer of Barcola from PSG. - A sale for around £85m is a good deal for the "Reds", who bought Gakpo for £35m in 2023. - Liverpool wants to sign a replacement first (Minteh or Sarr) due to injuries to Ekitike and Isak. Three days before the close of the summer transfer window, Manchester City officially approached Liverpool's board with the aim of signing 27-year-old Dutch winger Cody Gakpo. According to BBC Sport, as cited by Sport RBC.UA, the first contact between the clubs was established on Saturday evening, turning the potential move into one of the biggest stories of the last days of the summer. Gakpo, who has become one of the Merseysiders' key attacking players over the past two seasons, is being considered by the "Citizens" as a priority reinforcement for the attack ahead of the decisive phase of the season. ### Contact with Liverpool and Tottenham's role According to available information, interest in Gakpo was also shown by London's Tottenham, which, reportedly, was even considered one of the favourites in the race for the player. However, the footballer himself, according to sources, is leaning towards a move to the former English champions. At Tottenham, as British media report, Gakpo's decision to turn down a move to them in favour of City caused genuine surprise, given that the "Spurs" were seen as one of the main contenders. Thus, Manchester City effectively got ahead of its rival at the final stage of negotiations, taking advantage of the player's personal position. ### Why Gakpo is ready to leave: competition for a starting spot The likelihood of the Dutchman's departure grew significantly after Liverpool agreed to the transfer of Bradley Barcola from PSG. Aware of the growing competition from Barcola, Víctor Muñoz and young Rio Ngumoha, Gakpo understands that he risks losing his status as a first-team starter. For a player accustomed to being one of the main trump cards in attack, this is a compelling argument in favour of a club change, where he is ready to guarantee regular playing time and a central role in the system. ### The financial side and the "Reds'" conditions From a financial standpoint, the sale of Gakpo for around £85m would look like a highly profitable deal for Liverpool: in January 2023 the club bought him from PSV for just £35m. During this time the player scored 33 goals in 91 Premier League matches and started the new season well, netting a goal and an assist in the first two rounds. At the same time, before giving the "green light" to the transfer, Liverpool is seeking to sign one more attacking player. Among the priority targets are Yankuba Minteh from Brighton and Ismaila Sarr from Crystal Palace. ### Squad risks in Liverpool's attack Gakpo's transfer also carries a significant squad risk for the Merseysiders. Hugo Ekitike is out until 2027 due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Alexander Isak continues to deal with the aftermath of injuries. Losing Gakpo against the backdrop of these problems could leave Liverpool with limited options in attack, which explains the club's caution: the board wants to ensure an adequate replacement is in place before letting go of the current leader. ### Contradictory data Publications from different outlets feature several figures for the deal's cost. Sport RBC.UA, citing BBC Sport, operates with a sum of around £85 million, while a number of Ukrainian and Russian sports portals (in particular, dynamo.kiev.ua) name Manchester City's offer at €100m. Formally these figures are close in parity, however they reflect a different currency and, possibly, a different stage of negotiations: £85m is the benchmark for Liverpool, while €100m is the amount, reportedly, being prepared by City. Until official confirmation by the clubs, the exact sum and currency of the deal remain a matter of discussion. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Attack reinforcement: Manchester City set on Liverpool's leader](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/pidsilennya-ataki-manchester-siti-natsilivsya-1788091200.html) - Базовый источник: контакт в субботу вечером, 85 млн фунтов, интерес «Тоттенхэма», условия «Ливерпуля» (Минте, Сарр), травмы Экитике и Исака. - [At Tottenham, shocked by Gakpo's decision to turn down a move to them for City — TT](https://www.championat.com/football/news-6601392-v-tottenheme-shokirovany-resheniem-gakpo-otkazatsya-ot-perehoda-k-nim-radi-siti-tt.html) - Подтверждает предпочтение Гакпо «Сити» и реакцию «Тоттенхэма». - [Manchester City got ahead of Tottenham in the race for Gakpo: the "Citizens" are preparing for Liverpool ...](https://dynamo.kiev.ua/news/735766-manchester-siti-operedil-tottenhem-v-borbe-za-gakpo-gorozhane-gotovyat-liverpulyu-predlozhenie-v-100-mln-evro?skip_infinite=1) - Указывает сумму 100 млн евро — расхождение с 85 млн фунтов из базового источника; вынесено в блок противоречий. - [Blockbuster transfer in the Premier League: one of Liverpool's key players decided to join Manchester City](https://www.ua-football.com/foreign/england/1788031820-gromkiy-transfer-v-apl-odin-iz-klyuchevyh-igrokov-liverpulya-reshil-prisoedinitsya-k-manchester-siti.html) - Подтверждает намерение Гакпо присоединиться к «Сити». ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How much is Manchester City ready to pay for Cody Gakpo? **A:** According to BBC Sport via Sport RBC.UA, the benchmark is around £85 million. A number of outlets name an offer of €100m; the exact sum and currency await official confirmation from the clubs. ### Q: Why is Gakpo considering leaving Liverpool? **A:** After the transfer of Barcola from PSG was agreed, competition in attack has grown (Barcola, Muñoz, Ngumoha), and Gakpo risks losing his place in the starting lineup. He himself prefers a move to Manchester City. ### Q: Why doesn't Liverpool want to let Gakpo go immediately? **A:** The club wants to sign a replacement first — among the priorities are Yankuba Minteh (Brighton) and Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace). This is linked to squad problems: Ekitike is out until 2027, and Isak is battling injuries.