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Cody Gakpo has been convinced to ditch Liverpool and join Tottenham Hotspur after sources revealed the incredible pitch made by Roberto De Zerbi that persuaded the Dutchman to move to north London, and with Spurs now described as “one step away” from a transfer.

The Dutch winger only signed a new and improved contract at Anfield last summer, having become a regular in Arne Slot’s side.

But with the 27-year-old suffering a massive drop in form for Liverpool last season, the winger found himself the subject of strong criticism from Reds fans, who were left mystified by Slot’s insistence on picking the player and overlooking the burgeoning talents of Rio Ngumoha.

However, with Slot now replaced at the helm by Andoni Iraola and with the Reds making a big push to bring in Bradley Barcola as a marquee addition on the left side of their attack, Gakpo’s days at Anfield appear well and truly numbered.

As a result, links to Tottenham have gathered momentum in recent weeks, and sources now understand that there is growing confidence that a deal can be struck following a significant buy-in from the player.

Indeed, as revealed by our transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey on Sunday, Gakpo has been convinced to join De Zerbi’s Tottenham revolution by the Italian himself, who we understand has promised the winger a key role in his attack.

Furthermore, TEAMtalk understands De Zerbi has made it clear to the winger’s camp just how important he could be to his plans in north London, with Gakpo hugely impressed by what he has heard from the Tottenham head coach and is now described as being ‘fully convinced’ that the opportunity to play a major role in De Zerbi’s project is both an attractive move and also regarded as the best next step in his career.

Counting on the player as an option on his left flank, De Zerbi is understood to have made it clear that he also values Gakpo’s versatility and ability to play a central role if required.

And with the 54-cap Netherlands star also having agreed personal terms, we understand Spurs are finally set to launch an official move this week…

IN DEPTH: Every completed Tottenham transfer in summer 2026: Signings, sales, loans

Liverpool set their price for Cody Gakpo sale

Despite a willingness to sell Gakpo and with the player looking set to slip down their pecking order in the upcoming season, Liverpool are making it clear that the winger will not be allowed to leave for a discounted price.

Indeed, sources insist the Reds are making it clear that they value the former PSV Eindhoven star at upwards of £60m – and could even demand as much as £70m to sanction his sale.

Significantly, though, Spurs are willing to match – or at least come close to the Reds’ demands – meaning a deal should be relatively straightforward once Spurs officially come to the table, and it’s understood a compromise package of around £65m (€76m, $88m) could be enough to satisfy all parties.

Backing up our report, Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, writing on X, has also described the transfer as being “one step away”.

In addition to Gakpo, Spurs also remain in the hunt to sign Savinho from Manchester City and De Zerbi believes the double wing addition will give his side the firepower to mount what many now expect to be a push for the Champions League places.

Since moving to north London, De Zerbi has helped Spurs avoid relegation to the Championship, having since embarked on an ambitious summer rebuilding programme that has seen big money splashed out on the likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.

But De Zerbi knows he needs more options in attack and moves to strengthen that area are expected to gather pace this week.

On the outgoing front, there have been developments over the exit of Guglielmo Vicario in recent hours, with a move back to Italy now increasingly likely.

Meanwhile, a planned Tottenham hijack of an Everton defensive target has ignited as De Zerbi sets his sights on signing a sublime Djed Spence replacement.

Cristian Romero was a controversial figure in his time at Spurs, and has tainted his legacy to some degree.

The writing was on the wall for Cristian Romero at Spurs for some time. Despite being a quality player when in the right headspace, he all too often was not in the right headspace.

Tottenham fans were able to put up with it to a degree, but even they were eventually worn down by his endless antics. Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge covers Spurs, and he was pretty damning in his assessment of the defender’s legacy after a €40m move to Atletico Madrid was completed.

Romero announced his own exit from Spurs

Asked if Spurs fans were going to miss their central defender, Bridge was pretty clear: “No.”

He noted that Romero had announced his move even before Spurs had, continuing the rather lawless approach we’ve seen off and on the pitch from him over the years.

“On his day he was one of the best centre-backs in the world but those days came against Ecuador or Peru on international duty [for Argentina].

“There’s nothing wrong with being proud to play for your nation but there was too many times it was a chore playing for Spurs. He posted a few public comments about the board, which you can’t do. He was a key part of winning the Europa League but there was that final day saga about whether will he or won’t he watch his team try to avoid relegation.”

The club have brought in Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi to play at centre back, and fans will be hoping they immediately strike up a strong partnership so Romero is soon forgotten at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham's search for another striker has become one of the summer's busiest pursuits.

Tottenham are in the mix to sign another teen talent, with the focus on youth investment despite Roberto De Zerbi's preference for proven Premier League experience.

Cristian Romero is set to join Atletico Madrid in a £34.2m deal with a 15 per cent sell-on clause, ending his five-year Spurs spell after 124 appearances and 12 goals.

Cristian Romero confirmed his Spurs exit on Instagram ahead of a move to Atletico Madrid in a deal worth about £34.2m, saying he leaves proud after helping end the club's 17-year trophy drought.

Tottenham have shortlisted Amar Dedic as a possible Djed Spence replacement, but Newcastle are moving first for the Benfica full-back and no formal Spurs approach is known.

Tottenham's centre-back rebuild has brought ball-playing quality, but concerns remain over Van Hecke, Senesi and Van de Ven against quick dribblers after Romero's exit.

Tottenham's 35m euro sale of Djed Spence to Inter is framed as strong value, with the piece arguing Spurs could not block a 26-year-old full-back wanting a bigger role.

Tottenham are still working on Cody Gakpo, with personal terms no issue but no financial agreement yet. Liverpool could reinvest in two wingers if Spurs complete the deal.

Tottenham are pushing for Cody Gakpo and Savinho, but Victor Osimhen is not advanced. Wages are an issue and the likeliest outcome is Osimhen stays at Galatasaray.

Tottenham Hotspur have been trying to sell disgruntled goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for months, and even before Antonin Kinsky emerged as a hero in the Premier League relegation fight and Spurs new No. 1 under Roberto De Zerbi, the club was interested in divesting from Vicario after an embarrassing 2025/26 season.

Many Spurs fans came into the season with skepticism about Vic, but because he was seen as a great pure shot stopper, a lot of his basic errors in possession or handling were forgiven. But as the shot stopping numbers deteroriated into literally the worst save percentage of any starting Premier League goalkeeper and the horrible goalkeeping gaffes only increased, Spurs supporters knew they had to move on.

It looked like Vicario's transfer back to Serie A would be a mere formality, but after initially showing strong interest in the former Empoli man, Inter Milan totally backed out of the deal, signing the superior Ivan Provedel instead to be their new No. 2. Meanwhile, rivals Juventus have been interested, but VIcario has only been a Plan B to them. They were initially going for Emiliano Martinez, who proved too expensive, and then Zion Suzuki, but the latter has seemingly chosen PSG.

Guglielmo Vicario could fetch more money later

So all roads lead back to Guglielmo Vicario for Juventus, but Tottenham Hotspur are realizing that Juve simply do not rate Vicario highly enough to spend outright on him. The word on the street comoing out of Italy now is that the Bianconeri want to try to buy Vicario on loan, and so Spurs have to hope for a favorable loan with an option to buy deal.

While Tottenham would prefer to sell Vicario outright so they can fully move on with Antonin Kinsky and Martin Dubravka as their goalkeeper pairing, perhaps a loan deal with Juve is actually the better move for the Lilywhites.

Vicario is at the lowest value point of his entire career after a shameful season in which he showed poorly as a shot stopper, ball handler, distributor, and leader. He was awful in all regards, clearly affected by Tottenham's difficult season and the fact that he was no longer important.

Going back to Italy can help Vicario feel more comfortable and rehab his value, and if he can manage to bounce back somewhat for Juventus, who want a new starting goalkeeper after Michele Di Gregorio's own huge tumble in form last season, then that can help him fetch Tottenham a better transfer fee next summer, whether attached to an option to buy or in a new sale entirely.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been begging to sign Savinho from Manchester City for at least a year now, as the rumors first spread quickly at the end of the last summer transfer window. But between Pep Guardiola not really wanting to lose an explosive player crucial to the club's depth and the inability of Rodrygo Goes to come from Real Madrid to the Etihad as a replacement, talks cooled, with Daniel Levy unwilling to meet the high asking price that the Citizens were setting for Girona's former La Liga Player of the Season dark horse in 2023/24.

Savinho did not end up playing much, especially not in the Premier League, for Man City last season, but he still more than made his mark in the Champions League, including playing at a high level against Real Madrid even when his teammates were thoroughly outclassed by their newest European rivals.

There is no question that in terms of skill and explosiveness, Savinho would be a major upgrade for a Tottenham team that only has two sure fire wingers in Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus, with Tel still seen as being too raw to start despite what has been an amazing preseason thus far.

Savinho has to be coming to Tottenham

Savinho is finally starting to get closer to his dream Tottenham Hotspur move, and he is trying to put more pressure on Man City to sell him to N17 despite the club's continued reluctance to sell, with more talks of them looking for a replacement despite already signing Antoine Semenyo last winter when they already were barely playing the Brazilian international in the Premier League fixtures.

At this point, Savinho to Tottenham makes too much sense to not almost fully guarantee it from happening. He clearly wants to go, including liking so many social media pieces related to Spurs, and Tottenham have no better options out wide than him, particularly with the summer tranfer window set to close in just a few weeks.

As the window's end draws nearer, the chances of Savinho going to Tottenham will only increase. Roberto De Zerbi knows he needs another game changer out wide, and Spurs literally only have one option on the left wing healthy right now in Mathys Tel. Savinho is a player Spurs should have already ponied up for either last summer or earlier this window, and, now, it is crunch time, But Spurs are accelerating, and it should only be a matter of time befoe he walks through the door.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has been zeroing in on Savinho and Cody Gakpo as his main two transfer targest up front, and whlie both players are largely seen as left wingers, they are totally different profiles, with Gakpo even being rumored as a possible center forward signing for De Zerbi in lieu of any true top strikers being readily available for Spurs this summer. Meanwhile, as a left footer, Savinho is also capable of playing on the right hand side.

Between the two of them, Savinho is the more likely to join Spurs, as the young Brazilian international is pushing harder for a move and may starting to actually be close to a transfer, while the jury is still out on if Liverpool want to sell Gakpo at all - which is technically also the case for Manchester City, who have been slow to move themselves this summer - even if they sign Bradley Barcola from PSG for massive, massive money.

Cody Gakpo can bring more goals than Savinho

The thing is, Tottenham's significant interest in Gakpo may play into their interest in Savinho. Because while a lot of praise can be sent to the Brazilian for his explosiveness, speed, dribbling ability, acceleration, skill, and quality to create chaos in one on ones, he only has a couple of league goals in his career at the Etihad and is barely a threat to score for a Tottenham Hotspur team that beyond desperately needs goal soring sources. Their top scorer last season was Richarlison, and their next best players in front of goal were their starting center backs and defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha - three of those four may not be at Tottenham in 2026/27.

So you can see that Tottenham and Roberto De Zerbi know they need players who can finish their chances off. Savinho can create goals and open up the entire offense with everything else he does, but that doesn't change the fact that the Lilywhites still need someone who can convert the chances.

Enter Cody Gakpo. He isn't the most elite scoring threat, but he can score more goals that Savinho with more physicality and better finishing chops. He benefis from being older and not playing as wide, but with seven goals last season for Liverpool and some incredible scoring performances for the Netherlands where he is more central to the team's playing style, Gakpo has the upside to bring what Savinho doesn't in terms of goal scoring. De Zerbi's interest in Gakpo may be about supplementing Savinho with a profile who is his opposite, and that can shed light on why Spurs are so interested in stealing away the Liverpool star despite a flop of a 2025/26 season without Luis Diaz out wide.

In that way, Gakpo could be De Zerbi's answer to adding the goals that Savinho may not bring if they sign him to be an option on the wings.

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Tottenham Hotspur made the move many fans were dreading all along, selling off World Cup breakout fullback Djed Spence to Serie A champions Inter Milan for an underwhelming fee of around 27 million pounds. Here are the five biggest winners and losers from Spurs latest blockbuster sale.

Winner: Souza

The biggest winner of the Djed Spence sale is probably Brazilian prospect Souza, who is seen as the best young fullback from the country. Even though he will likely be loaned for regular minutes either way, the highly promising left back still benefits from a Spence sale long term, since his path to playing time will open up without more competition.

Loser: Roberto De Zerbi

Roberto De Zerbi won't be a fan of having to let Spence go, because he would have been the perfect squad player for him with his versatility and work rate. De Zerbi loves guys who will run themselves into the ground for the badge, and Spence was the epitome of that, especially on the defensive end.

Winner: Andy Robertson

Veteran left back Andy Robertson joined Tottenham Hotspur as a free agent from Liverpool this summer transfer window after there were fierce talks to sign him in the winter. Robertson may be close to the point of being finished, but without Spence as a veteran backup for injury prone starter Destiny Udogie, the path is suddenly clear for Robbo to get significant minutes and prove he is still a top Premier League left back in 2026/27.

Loser: Pedro Porro

Tottenham 100 percent have to sign a backup right back this summer transfer window, because Spence, despite playing more often at left back due to the injury situation last season, was the only cover behind the World Cup's best right back. Pedro Porro will have to play even more next season and get totally run into the ground if Spurs don't manage to sign a competent No. 2 to replace Spence.

Loser: Tottenham center backs

Perhaps the Inter Milan forwards will worry about the drop off in attacking quality between Denzel Dumfries, now at mighty Real Madrid, and Djed Spence at the right wing back position, but the Tottenham center backs will miss Spence's defensive prowess even more. There is no backup left back or right back who is as good as Spence defensively, and he showed at the World Cup that he is one of the best one-on-one cover guys out wide. None of Tottenham's top four center backs are particularly quick in short spaces against the dribble, and they will all miss Spence to some extent.

Lately, transfer fees have been back on the rise, and Tottenham Hotspur fans have seen that on a personal level, as they watched their beloved club spend nearly 250 million pounds combined on the trio of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Jan Paul van Hecke this summer transfer window.

Even so, Spurs had to settle for selling star center back Cristian Romero, who is one of the biggest names at the position in world football, for just 40 million euros to Atletico Madrid with no club willing to even entertain the idea of spending more. Inter Milan were the only other club as interested in Romero as Atleti, and they were not going to budge even up to the 40 million euro mark.

While it seems deeply upsetting for Romero to only go for 40 million euros when Tottenham fans were expecting a bigger cash windfall for the 28 year old center back, those words are precisely the reason why Spurs fans should not actually be too surprised to see the final transfer fee for Romero. Because, well, he is a 28 year old center back coming off a pretty dreadful season in which he captained a team that nearly got relegated and actually played even better and survived without him. The World Cup performance with Argentina didn't necessarily augment his value; it actually saved it and probably was the thing that made clubs like Atleti and Inter even still want him in the first place.

Cristian Romero never actually merited a massive fee

Because the reality is that center backs Romero's age don't generally go for this much money. The most expensive center back transfer in history at the age of 28 or older was Lilian Thuram, and there are only three center backs above the age of 25 who have gone for more than 40 million euros. Sure, era and inflation need to be accounted for, but 40 million euros for a 28 year old Cristian Romero coming off a down year were about all that Tottenham could have hoped for.

Fans often overvalue their own players or overestimate them due to familiarity, not realizing that their own negative feelings about a player are likely shared by outside clubs, even those that are still fans of the positives as Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone clearly are with their new Argentinian central defender.

Romero was not a gross lowball sale by Tottenham. They had no leverage, everyone knew they had to sell, and they got a pretty historically strong deal for a player who will have absolutely zero resale value by the time he winds his contract down half way with Atletico.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to sell fullback Djed Spence to Serie A giants Inter Milan for around 27 million pounds, bringing the end to another long running transfer saga. Inter were interested in Tottenham star center back Cristian Romero first but were unable to close a deal on financial terms, and now Romero is headed to long time suitors Atletico Madrid instead.

Spence, meanwhile, is a coup for Inter after being one of the best overall defenders at the 2026 World Cup for England, emerging as a national hero by playing excellent defense against the likes of Mexico, Norway, and Argentina in the World Cup knockout stages, saving his best performances for the clutch.

Tottenham fans are upset with the Spence sale and are wondering why Spurs even sold the England international in the first place after he played so well for the Three Lions on the world stage. And he is a likable character who fights hard for the badge, defends at a high level one on one, and maybe most importantly, could play a key depth role on either the left or right side. Spurs do not have a current backup right back for star man Pedro Porro, and Spence was still needed on the left with Destiny Udogie's injury woes.

Tottenham had no choice but to sell Djed Spence

At the end of the day, though, Tottenham Hotspur clearly had to sell Djed Spence regardless of what he did this summer, his versatility, or his intangible qualities as a squad player. The reality is that Spence wanted to leave Tottenham and capitalize on his World Cup success by joining a club currently in the Champions League with a greater possibility of him starting.

Inter Milan are a big club, too. They are the best team in Italian football right now, bar none, and were in two Champions League Finals in the last four seasons. And after selling star right wing back Denzel Dumfries, they have an opening for Spence to compete for starts in a position that suits him better than left back, which is where he has primarily been playing for Spurs.

Tottenham can't keep players who want to go. If a player does not want to be at the club anymore, Spurs, especially since they want to compete at the highest level now as an organization under Roberto De Zerbi, can't afford to be keeping players against their will. It really is that simple. Spence wanted to spread his wings elsewhere, and Spurs had to respect that and sell him.

Atletico Madrid secure long-term defensive target

Diego Simeone has finally landed his man as Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal in principle with Tottenham to sign Romero, according to Sky Sports. The package for the Argentina international is understood to be in the region of £34.2 million plus additional performance-related add-ons. Furthermore, Spurs have protected their future interests by ensuring a 15 per cent sell-on clause is included in the final terms of the transfer agreement.

The Spanish giants have long admired the Argentina defender, and it had grown increasingly clear throughout the transfer window that Spurs would be open to selling their captain if a suitable offer materialized. Romero originally joined the North London side on a season-long loan from Atalanta in the summer of 2021, before Tottenham made the arrangement permanent the following year.

Romero chooses Madrid over Premier League rivals

The central defender always favored a move to Atletico Madrid, despite attracting strong interest from major clubs across Europe. Inter Milan were keen on bringing the former Atalanta star back to Serie A, while Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal were also creditably linked with a shock swoop for his services.

This departure comes despite Romero's Spurs deal being due to run until the summer of 2029, ending a spell in North London where the defender helped Tottenham secure silverware by winning the 2024-25 Europa League.

A fiery legacy left behind in North London

Romero's time in the Premier League will be remembered for both his elite technical quality and his disciplinary struggles. Despite being sent off twice last season during Spurs' Premier League relegation battle, the 28-year-old played a pivotal role in helping the club avoid the drop, making 32 appearances across all competitions while contributing six goals and four assists during a campaign that tested the resolve of everyone at the club.

Across his five seasons in North London, Romero made 124 appearances for Spurs and scored 12 goals, while earning four Premier League red cards along the way. That uncompromising, high-intensity style made him a fan favorite for many, even if it occasionally proved a source of frustration for others.

Overcoming friction with the Spurs faithful

The relationship between the player and the supporters was not without its friction. Romero faced fierce backlash from fans after appearing ready to attend his boyhood club Belgrano’s Argentine Primera División Apertura final against River Plate, rather than being present for Tottenham’s crucial end-of-season clash against Everton.

However, the defender did eventually attend the final game of the season, in which Spurs secured Premier League survival. With his future now set in Madrid, the Argentine leaves behind a complicated legacy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.