Cody Gakpo now favours Manchester City, according to Ben Jacobs on talkSPORT, after a late surge from City has changed the shape of the race. Jacobs said Tottenham had led the chase for much of the summer, but that City have gone really big on him in the last few days. Liverpool's talks over Bradley Barcola sit in the background, and Tuesday's deadline is getting close.

City have moved late

Jacobs was clear about the shift in momentum. "Manchester City in the last few days have gone really big on Cody Gakpo," he said, before adding that it had taken the player by surprise because "for much of the summer, it was Tottenham and Cody Gakpo." He also said, "But our information is that Cody Gakpo favours Manchester City."

That lines up with the wider reporting around the deal. The Evening Standard has said Gakpo has elected to join City from Liverpool, while BBC Sport reported that City are in formal talks with Liverpool and have already made an opening bid. The move is not closed yet, but City are the club now pushing hardest.

Gakpo's form helps explain why the chase has tightened. He has 3 goals in 4 appearances across all competitions this season, and a 7.09 Premier League rating in 2 Liverpool appearances. Those are not numbers that usually sit on the market for long in the final week of a window.

Liverpool and Tottenham still shape the deal

Liverpool's stance is tied to the wider forward line. Jacobs said the club may need to bring in another attacker, and he pointed to Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha needing a pathway. He also said Gakpo can see that Liverpool now have Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike up front, with Florian Wirtz behind them.

That is where Bradley Barcola matters. BBC Sport reported that Liverpool have agreed to sign the Paris St-Germain winger in a deal worth up to £123m, and Jacobs said the Barcola move could be the point at which Liverpool decide they can let Gakpo go. The club are 14th in the current Premier League table, so there is little room for a slow-moving reshuffle.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have been the club showing most interest in Gakpo this summer, but they now look to be on the back foot. Jacobs said the player had spoken to Roberto De Zerbi as part of the wider picture, but the clearest detail is the current order of play: City are in front, Liverpool are weighing their attack, and Spurs may need to look elsewhere before Tuesday.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →