Liverpool have rejected an offer worth up to £80m from Manchester City to sign Cody Gakpo.
City offered an initial £75m with a further £5m in potential add-ons, but Liverpool turned down the proposal. The two clubs have been in direct contact but the deal is no longer being pursued.
Gakpo had been open to joining Enzo Maresca’s side after deciding against a move to Tottenham. City’s interest increased as they looked to strengthen their attack following the departures of Omar Marmoush and Savinho to Spurs.
The move would have taken Gakpo into competition with Bradley Barcola, who completed his £106m move from Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool this week. Barcola can cost a further £17m in add-ons and has signed a five-year contract.
Liverpool, however, are unwilling to lose Gakpo without enough time to bring in a replacement. The 27-year-old has started both of their Premier League matches this season, scoring in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle and setting up a goal in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had made clear his preference for Gakpo to stay after the Forest match.
“He’s a quality player, I think we should keep quality players,” Van Dijk said. “Let’s see what the next few days bring. I want him to stay not only because he’s a quality player but also because he’s a friend of mine. He’s very important for us.”
Gakpo renewed his Liverpool contract in August 2025 after helping the club win the Premier League title. He scored 18 goals and supplied seven assists in 49 appearances during that campaign.
His form dipped during the second half of last season, when he scored only three league goals after the turn of the year despite featuring in every Premier League match. He responded at the World Cup by scoring three times in four games for the Netherlands before their last-32 elimination by Morocco on penalties.
Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in December 2022 for an initial £37m, with the fee potentially rising to £44m. He has since made 180 appearances for the club, scoring 50 goals and providing 23 assists.
City have now switched their attention to Enzo Fernandez, with the Chelsea midfielder having been a long-standing target. The Manchester club also announced the signing of Allan Elias from Palmeiras on Monday in a deal worth €40m.
