Liverpool cannot afford to let their already thin squad get even thinner by selling Cody Gakpo to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, or they face a disastrous season under the new boss.
The Reds' attacking department has been decimated over the last 12 months, with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah all departing, leaving new manager Andoni Iraola seriously light on forward options heading into the new season. Victor Munoz has arrived from Osasuna to provide the Basque head coach with some additional depth, but the youngster isn't ready to carry the burden of playing significant minutes for a team with Premier League title aspirations.
Bradley Barcola continues to be linked with a switch to Anfield, but Paris Saint-Germain's excessive £140 million price tag is delaying negotiations on this front.
It's entirely possible that the Merseysiders don't recruit the volume of attackers they need, and thus, they could easily end up regretting their decision to sell Gakpo.
Cody Gakpo Sale Would be Smart Move For Liverpool in Isolation
Spurs are reportedly closing in on the signing of Gakpo, and while a fee is yet to be agreed, Liverpool are expected to cite Anthony Gordon's £70 million move to Barcelona as a benchmark in their negotiations with the North London club, as per Ben Jacobs.
In isolation, this would be an exceptional sale for the Reds. Gakpo produced an underwhelming 2025/26 season, scoring just seven goals and providing just five assists in 36 Premier League appearances.
While the Dutchman is a valuable player who provides some useful attacking attributes, he is limited in certain respects and far from indispensable.
At 27, £70 million would be an outstanding return for Liverpool, for a player they paid £45 million for, if they can pull it off.
Selling Gakpo Would Still Be a Mistake For Liverpool
While this prospective Gakpo sale would be an astute piece of business in isolation, in the context of Liverpool's squad, it could potentially be disastrous.
Centrally, the Reds are relying on Alexander Isak, a notoriously injury-prone player, to remain fit for almost the entire season whilst Hugo Ektike recovers from an ACL injury. Behind the Swede, Gakpo is the only senior player capable of doing a job as a striker, before Iraola is forced to turn towards a false-nine option.
Off the left — Gakpo's primary position — there are a few more candidates to take the Netherlands international’s minutes, although they're inexperienced at the top level. Munoz looks promising, but it'd be a huge gamble to rely on a mixture of him and 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha as the exclusive left-wing options for the entirety of next season.
While not often deployed on the right, Gakpo could've filled in on this side if needed. If Liverpool sanction his departure, they'd be left with the following fit senior attackers:
Alexander Isak
Federico Chiesa
Victor Munoz
Rio Ngumoha (if he registers as 'senior')
The likes of Florian Wirtz, Harvey Elliott and Jeremie Frimpong can be drafted in as forwards, while new signings can still be made, but time is running out for Iraola to construct an attacking unit deep enough to compete on multiple fronts. Selling Gakpo might only make things worse, even if rejecting such a significant offer from Spurs might not be popular.