Man City make contact over Gakpo as Liverpool weigh squad depth before sanctioning sale

Manchester City have made contact with Liverpool over a move for Cody Gakpo, though the Reds are yet to sanction a sale as they assess whether a late deal would leave them short of attacking options before the window shuts.

City are seeking reinforcements after losing both Savio and Omar Marmoush to Tottenham — for an initial £75m and a loan-to-buy worth £60m respectively — and Gakpo fits the profile of a player who can operate as a left winger or centre-forward, much as Marmoush did.

Liverpool’s hesitation centres on squad depth. New head coach Andoni Iraola has indicated he wants four wingers available, and the club only entered the summer with three. They have already signed Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34m and are closing in on Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola in a deal worth up to £120m. Liverpool have also bid for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and shown interest in Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr, though none of those deals beyond Barcola are yet complete.

Iraola said on Thursday that he could not guarantee Gakpo would remain at the club, but the 25-year-old has featured in both of Liverpool’s opening fixtures under the Spaniard. He scored their first goal of the Iraola era in a 2-2 draw at Newcastle and provided an assist in a subsequent draw against Nottingham Forest.

Gakpo has also attracted interest from Tottenham, adding further competition for his signature. Liverpool’s position appears to be that they will not block a move outright, but need assurances that replacements can be secured in time — making the final days of the window critical to how this situation resolves.