Sports Mole

Cody Gakpo has allegedly told Liverpool that he is open to leaving Anfield during the summer transfer window.

With Andoni Iraola having replaced Arne Slot as manager, the Merseyside giants are expected to go through a period of transition.

Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah have all left on free transfers, leaving the Spaniard with three major holes to fill.

Squad members such as Federico Chiesa are also in line to depart the club, and it appears that a long-serving member of the group could also move on from Liverpool.

As per Soccer News, Gakpo has made it known to Liverpool officials that he is open-minded with regards to an exit.

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Gakpo ready for new challenge?

The Netherlands international has delivered 50 goals and 30 assists from his 180 appearances for Liverpool.

However, the 27-year-old was far from his best during 2025-26 and ended the campaign in and out of the starting lineup.

With four years left on his contract, it may materialise that he must stay at Liverpool for at least another campaign, particularly if Liverpool do not generate their desired fee.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be admirers of Gakpo, while transfer journalist Mounir Boualin suggests that Newcastle United and Bayern Munich are also in the running.

At this point in time, Liverpool's stance on the matter is unclear. They also have to consider that Hugo Ekitike will not return from an Achilles injury until the end of the year at the earliest.

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Why Gakpo staying at Liverpool is most likely outcome

As well as the aforementioned players who have left or seem certain to leave, offers are being considered for Curtis Jones.

Seeing five of last season's squad depart, Ekitike out in the long term and Conor Bradley having been sidelined since January leaves the possibility of a new-look squad in August even without the exit of Gakpo.

Right now, Liverpool's attacking contingent for the start of 2026-27 is Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz, Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, Chiesa and Alexander Isak. It is clear that they need additions rather than any more departures.

Tottenham Hotspur are allegedly close to finalising a new contract with Pedro Porro.

On the back of retaining their Premier League status, there is an air of positivity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Roberto De Zerbi.

Despite a Premier League rival attempting to sign one of their top prospects, Spurs have already secured the signings of Andrew Robertson and Marcos Senesi, the latter having just been called-up to Argentina's World Cup squad.

One of De Zerbi's next priorities is to extend the contracts of players who he views as integral to the club's long-term future.

According to The Athletic, progress has been made in retaining the services of Porro in recent weeks.

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Spurs close to Porro contract renewal

The report alleges that the Spain international is near to finalising a contract extension with the North Londoners.

Although terms are already in place until 2028, Spurs chiefs are prepared to hand the 26-year-old an extension until 2030 with a substantial pay-rise.

This development is reward for Porro's performances during the last three seasons, the right-back contributing 13 goals and 26 assists from 152 appearances in all competitions.

Five of those contributions came during 13 Europa League fixtures as Spurs lifted the trophy in that competition in 2024-25.

Furthermore, Porro has been available for the majority of Spurs' Premier League games since the start of 2023-24, making 102 appearances.

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Another box ticked for De Zerbi

Although Spurs have no European football on their schedule in 2026-27, Spurs look united and rejuvenated under De Zerbi.

Attracting Robertson and Senesi to the capital is only going to lead to some of Spurs' key players committing their futures to the club.

While Djed Spence is an alternative at right-back, keeping Porro is a major statement of intent when he would not have been short of offers from top clubs participating in the Champions League.

Tottenham keep or sell: Vote for who you think should go!

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly received a £30m bid from Brighton & Hove Albion for centre-back Luka Vuskovic.

The 19-year-old was signed by Spurs from boyhood club Hajduk Split for around £12m in July last year, and featured for the club during last summer’s pre-season.

However, Vuskovic is yet to make a single competitive appearance for the North Londoners and experienced a productive loan spell at Bundesliga outfit Hamburger SV in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring six goals in 28 league appearances.

The highly-rated 6ft 4in defender is currently away with the Croatia national team ahead of their 2026 World Cup opener against England, and speculation over his club future continues to grow.

Hamburger had no option-to-buy clause inserted into their loan arrangement with Spurs for Vuskovic, who is set to return to North London, unless an interested suitor such as Brighton manages to strike an agreement.

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Brighton table £30m Vuskovic bid amid interest from other ‘leading clubs’

The Athletic reports that a £30m offer has been submitted by Brighton for Vuskovic, while there is also said to be strong interest from other ‘leading clubs’ across Europe.

However, it is understood that Vuskovic has ambitions of joining a club like Brighton where he can play regularly and take the next step in his career.

The report adds that Vuskovic knows Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who is from Germany, and he believes that the Seagulls have shown themselves to be an excellent developing ground for young talent.

The fact that Vuskovic feels the best move for his career is to join Brighton permanently will come as a concern to Spurs, who had viewed the teenager as a promising player for the future.

However, Brighton’s pursuit of Vuskovic comes at a time when Tottenham are still hoping to sign Seagulls centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, despite seeing two bids rejected for the Dutchman.

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Vuskovic joining Brighton from Spurs could suit all parties

Spurs captain Cristian Romero is expected to leave this summer, while there is also uncertainty over the future of Radu Dragusin, who has been linked with a return to Serie A.

Should the North Londoners sell both players, they would still have three centre-back options including new signing Marcos Senesi, who has joined on a free transfer from Bournemouth to provide competition for Micky Van de Ven and Kevin Danso.

Vuskovic wants to be assured of regular first-team football and challenging for starts behind three centre-backs - potential four if Van Hecke were to join - is not ideal for a player keen to enhance his development.

Spurs may feel that selling Vuskovic for a suitable price, making profit in the process, and reinvesting that money into other transfer targets could be worthwhile, while the defender would join a Brighton side gearing up for Conference League football next season.

New Tottenham Hotspur defender Marcos Senesi has received a late call-up to Argentina's 2026 World Cup squad.

The 29-year-old was left out of Lionel Scaloni's initial 26-man squad despite enjoying a successful season with Bournemouth.

The centre-back started all 37 Premier League games for which he was available as Bournemouth secured a sixth-place finish and European football for the first time in the club's history.

However, he will not be with Bournemouth for their Europa League campaign, having turned down the chance to sign a new contract so he can pursue a fresh challenge in north London.

Senesi was officially unveiled as a Spurs player on Wednesday, with the free transfer set to officially go through on July 1 after his Bournemouth contract expires.

New Spurs signing receives World Cup call-up

A day later, the defender's positive week got even better with a call-up to Argentina's World Cup squad.

Senesi has been named as the replacement for Marseille's Leonardo Balerdi, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury.

The news means Senesi will head to an international major tournament for the first time in his career, having only previously made three appearances for his country.

The most recent of those three outings came in March's 2-1 friendly win over Mauritania.

Is Senesi likely to appear in the World Cup?

While Senesi will be delighted with the news of his late inclusion, he now faces a battle to prove to Scaloni that he deserves to feature in Argentina's World Cup defence.

That seems like a tough task due to the fact that Scaloni can call upon Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi and Facundo Medina as his other centre-back options.

Romero is expected to start the tournament with one of Martinez or Otamendi as his centre-back partner.

As a result, Senesi will likely only get on the pitch if there is an injury or Scaloni has the opportunity to rest and rotate.

Romero and Martinez's recent injury record and Otamendi's age mean that a potential opening in the lineup cannot be ruled out.

Argentina will begin their World Cup defence against Algeria on Tuesday before they face Austria and Jordan.

Tottenham Hotspur have announced that long-serving defender Ben Davies has signed a new contract with the club, but Yves Bissouma will leave as a free agent.

Both Davies and Bissouma entered the final six months of their contracts in January, and both experienced underwhelming 2025-26 campaigns due to a variety of factors.

Davies made just five appearances in all competitions, struggling with a hamstring injury during the first portion of the campaign before missing four months after an ankle operation.

The Wales international is also competing with Destiny Udogie, Djed Spence, Souza and new signing Andrew Robertson at left-back, but he has nevertheless extended his stay for another season.

"Tottenham Hotspur really feels like home. It's been a huge part of my football journey and I'm grateful for what the Club has given me so far in my career," Davies told the official Tottenham website.

Ben Davies extends Tottenham contract until 2027

"It's been difficult over the past few months, not being able to help the team on the pitch in some tough moments due to injury. So I tried to help the boys off it as much as I could, being a voice in the dressing room and around the group, contributing in any way I could. My heart's on my sleeve for this Club and I'll give everything for it."

Davies's new deal means that the 33-year-old will now enter a 13th season at Tottenham, who signed the defender from Swansea City for £10.9m in the summer of 2014.

Davies has since amassed 10 goals and 26 assists in 363 matches for the Lilywhites across all tournaments, and he made eight Europa League appearances in Spurs' triumphant 2024-25 run.

While Davies will be sticking around until at least 2027, Bissouma's contract has not been renewed, as confirmed by Tottenham in a separate statement also announcing academy departures.

"We can confirm the departure of Yves Bissouma following the conclusion of his contract," Spurs said. "We extend our grateful thanks to all departing players and their families for their contributions to the club and wish them every success in the future."

Yves Bissouma fails to live up to the Tottenham hype

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Both Arsenal and Manchester United were hitherto credited with an interest in Bissouma, who sent tongues wagging during his successful spell with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Neither the Gunners nor the Red Devils made an official bid, though, and the Mali midfielder arrived at Spurs for a little over £25m, a seemingly good deal for the club at the time.

However, Bissouma never settled under Antonio Conte and only enjoyed a brief renaissance under Ange Postecoglou in 2023-24, starting 28 Premier League matches before that number dropped to 16 the next season.

The 30-year-old's relationship with Thomas Frank was fractured early on, when he was left out of the squad for the Super Cup due to disciplinary reasons, before missing the entire first half of the campaign with a knee problem.

Bissouma returned to play 11 times in all tournaments in 2025-26, but his signing will ultimately go down as a failure on the financial front.

Manchester United have reportedly distanced themselves from a possible move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero.

The Argentina international has been heavily linked with a move away after Spurs narrowly avoided Premier League relegation.

Spain has been mooted as the most likely destination for the defender, although Man United have recently been linked with a potential move.

Reports from Argentina have suggested that the Red Devils are preparing to make an official offer for the Tottenham captain.

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Man United dismiss Romero transfer links

However, according to the Manchester Evening News, Man United sources have since dismissed the rumours over a possible bid.

The report claims that Man United currently have no plans to pursue a deal for the centre-back this summer.

That does not mean that Romero will stay put in north London, especially as Spurs are making efforts to bolster their backline.

Roberto De Zerbi's side are widely expected to sign Marcos Senesi on a free transfer, while they are said to be showing interest in Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

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Do Man United need to sign a centre-back this summer?

On the face of it, Man United are not in urgent need of a new centre-back given the current options in Michael Carrick's squad.

Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt are all part of Man United's central defensive department, although there may be some concern about the latter's long-term fitness due to his ongoing injury struggles.

Martinez has also had his injury issues during his time at the club, so there may be a temptation to bring in a new centre-back even if it is not a priority.

Man United will surely view the midfield as the main area of concern after Casemiro's departure and with uncertainty surrounding Manuel Ugarte's future.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly received a significant boost in their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Netherlands international joined Brighton in 2020 and, after a series of loan spells, established himself as a first-team regular two years later.

Since breaking into the side, Van Hecke has made more than 130 appearances for the Seagulls and developed into one of the Premier League's most highly-rated centre-backs.

Spurs have already strengthened Roberto De Zerbi's squad with the arrivals of Andrew Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers, but further defensive reinforcements remain a priority.

Advantage Tottenham in race for Jan Paul van Hecke?

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According to TeamTalk, Van Hecke has informed interested parties that his preference is to join Tottenham and reunite with De Zerbi despite Liverpool's attempts to lure him to Anfield.

The Reds are in the market for a new centre-back following Ibrahima Konate's departure and have identified the Brighton defender as one of their leading targets.

However, Tottenham have been working on the deal for some time and are reportedly prepared to pay around £50m to secure his signature.

Brighton have already rejected two offers, valuing the defender closer to £70m, although their negotiating position is weakened by the fact that Van Hecke has entered the final year of his contract.

Should Liverpool intensify effort for Jan Paul van Hecke?

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With reports suggesting that the defender has already made his preference clear, Liverpool may be forced to consider whether pursuing the deal remains worthwhile.

The Merseyside club have maintained contact with both Brighton and the player's representatives, but convincing Van Hecke to choose Anfield over Tottenham could prove difficult.

Given his contract situation, Liverpool may also be reluctant to meet Brighton's valuation, particularly when other centre-back options are available across the market.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are believed to have reached an agreement in principle on personal terms and are now preparing an improved package worth close to £60m, a figure they hope will finally persuade Brighton to sanction a sale.

Manchester United are reportedly preparing an official opening offer to sign Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero.

The Red Devils are actively working to reshape their playing squad following a domestic campaign that culminated in a third-place finish in the Premier League.

United have already all but reinforced their midfield options with a £35m deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson almost done.

Attention has now swiftly turned to addressing defensive vulnerabilities ahead of a demanding domestic and European schedule next term.

Man United 'prepare' lucrative offer for Romero

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According to journalist Gaston Edul, the Red Devils are keen to bring the Spurs captain to Old Trafford this summer.

The 28-year-old centre-back is expected to leave North London this summer after the Lilywhites narrowly avoided a catastrophic relegation to the Championship under Roberto De Zerbi.

Romero has attracted substantial transfer interest from elite clubs in Spain, but would reportedly prefer to remain in the Premier League.

The World Cup winner signed a contract extension last summer, reportedly including a £50m release clause.

Reports suggest that intermediaries have already initiated discussions regarding personal terms to convince the aggressive defender to move to Old Trafford.

How Romero fits into the Red Devils backline

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The prospective arrival of the Argentine international would provide immediate Premier League-proven quality to the defensive options available at Carrington.

The club hierarchy have already handed veteran defender Harry Maguire a fresh one-year contract extension following a series of commendable performances last term.

However, central defender Matthijs de Ligt is currently sidelined with a severe knee injury and is not expected to return until well after the new campaign commences.

With Lisandro Martinez also entering the final 12 months of his existing contract, securing a player with top-flight experience remains paramount for long-term stability.

While some sections of the fanbase may question the financial outlay, as well as Romero's aggressive style of defending, the positives ostensibly outweigh the negatives of any deal.

Some fans do not want the football season to end, and some cannot wait for the final whistle to blow; Tottenham Hotspur supporters were definitely in the latter camp during a catastrophic 2025-26 campaign.

However, thanks to Roberto De Zerbi's survival skills, Spurs' perpetual Premier League status remains intact, and the Lilywhites have already put their top-tier standing to good effect ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window.

The signing of Liverpool legend Andy Robertson has already been confirmed, Marcos Senesi's arrival from Bournemouth should be announced imminently, and work is being done to capture Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion.

But which members of De Zerbi's squad are at risk of the axe? Here, Sports Mole gives you the chance to vote for who you think Tottenham should keep and sell in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham's biggest transfer dilemmas for 2026 summer window

If it was not already clear from the evidence, Tottenham are preparing for a seismic defensive shift ahead of the new season, which will see Senesi and Van Hecke join forces at the back if De Zerbi gets his way.

The former Brighton boss is seemingly anticipating the exits of at least one of Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero, the latter of whom appears the most likely to depart after a five-year spell in North London.

Another rearguard stalwart - Guglielmo Vicario - is also seemingly edging closer to the exit door, having failed to regain his place in between the posts from Antonin Kinsky after his hernia operation.

Whether Tottenham go in for a new number one if Vicario departs is up for debate, though, as Kinsky miraculously recovered from his Atletico Madrid horror show to make a string of vital saves in the relegation run-in.

Further forward, the Lilywhites appear to be fighting a losing battle with Sporting Lisbon to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich, while Yves Bissouma is on the verge of leaving as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30.

Dejan Kulusevski's long-term knee injury may also have to be factored in to any window planning, but Tottenham should have Mohammed Kudus fit and firing again for the start of the new campaign.

However, Richarlison is about to enter the last year of his contract, while Dominic Solanke is yet to truly find his feet in North London, so a striker upgrade could also be on De Zerbi's shopping list.

Tottenham Hotspur have failed with a second approach for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke, Seagulls CEO Paul Barber has revealed.

The Lilywhites are undertaking a major reshuffle of their defensive line during the summer transfer window and have already confirmed the signing of Andy Robertson on a free transfer from Liverpool.

Spurs are also understood to have completed a deal for Marcos Senesi, who has passed his medical and will join Roberto De Zerbi's side following his release from Bournemouth.

In addition to those two low-cost signings, Tottenham are supposedly pushing to prise Van Hecke away from Brighton, where the Dutchman made his Premier League breakthrough under De Zerbi.

However, Spurs reportedly had a first bid rejected last week, and speaking to talkSPORT, Barber has now revealed that Brighton have rebuffed their London counterparts for a second time.

Tottenham see second Jan Paul van Hecke bid rejected by Brighton

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"There's always going to be a lot of interest in our best players, and certainly in the case of Jan Paul," Barber said. "We've been very clear that that interest has been ongoing for a while, it's coming from multiple sources.

"Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so, in fact, two bids. From that point of view, it has to be right for us as well as the player.

"We have to be in a position to make the best trades to suit our model and also to make sure that we're supporting Fabian [Hurzeler], because he's got another big season ahead of him."

Brighton paid just £1.7m to sign Van Hecke from NAC Breda in 2020, after which the Dutchman was loaned out to Heerenveen in 2020-21 and Blackburn Rovers in 2021-22 to gain senior experience.

Now 25, Van Hecke has established himself as a fundamental player for Brighton over the past two seasons, playing 70 Premier League matches and recording four goals and four assists in the process.

The 6ft 2in defender earned a call-up to the Netherlands' World Cup 2026 squad thanks to his exploits on the South Coast, including helping Brighton qualify for the upcoming Conference League.

Tottenham handed Jan Paul van Hecke boost despite Brighton rejection

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Previous reports claimed that Brighton were holding out for a £70m fee to sell Van Hecke, thus demanding Tottenham make the Netherlands international their most expensive signing of all time.

That honour is currently held by Dominic Solanke - a £65m arrival from Bournemouth in 2024 - but Brighton are not in a strong negotiating position with Van Hecke, whose deal expires in 2027.

The Seagulls are not believed to be close to agreeing a contract extension with the centre-back, though, and talkSPORT has placed their valuation of Van Hecke at £50m, so Tottenham would not have to break their all-time record to sign him.