Spurs hold talks to sign £73m Premier League star

One year on from winning the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur are on their fourth different manager.

It was Ange Postecoglou who led the Lilywhites to a European honour and after proudly declaring that season three is always better than season two, was relieved of his duties.

Both Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor had both fallen by the wayside since then by Roberto De Zerbi has come in and steadied the ship.

There is a realisation at board level that things simply have to improve now. From the recruitment, to the coaches, to the playing staff, it all needs to get better.

It all starts with recruitment but thankfully Spurs appear to be improving in that regard.

Several signings en route for Tottenham

The north Londoners are not resting on their laurels this summer. They are making moves and they are making them quickly.

Legendary left-back Andy Robertson arrived on a free transfer from Liverpool last week and he is set to be joined by Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi.

More Premier League-proven additions could be on the way. Tottenham are making strong progress in their pursuit of Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke and a deal could be wrapped up before the World Cup. The Dutchman has reportedly agreed personal terms and only wants to join Spurs.

Next up could well be a forward with reports over the weekend suggesting Cody Gakpo is now a keen target for Spurs.

TEAMtalk report that the Netherlands international is unhappy about the prospect of playing second fiddle to newly capped England international Rio Ngumoha.

As a result, the attacker is strongly considering his future at Anfield and could leave Merseyside in the forthcoming weeks.

Because of that, the player’s camp are exploring Gakpo’s options with Spurs, Aston Villa, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid having all been spoken to via intermediaries.

It has previously been reported that Spurs could offer as much as £73m to prise him away from Liverpool but it feels likely that price will come down if he is to leave.

Celebrated for his “special skillset” by former Man City assistant Pep Lijnders, this could be an underrated piece of business if they brought him in.

Why Spurs’ creative players would love Cody Gakpo

There were several issues at Tottenham in 2025/26. Only the relegated teams conceded more goals while, due to a bucket load of injuries, they also struggled in attack.

Richarlison was their top scorer with 12 in all competitions while the next three were Micky van de Ven and Joao Palhinha on seven and Cristian Romero on six. That rather sums up their woes.

As a result, however inconsistent Gakpo has proven to be of late for Liverpool, he would still represent a big upgrade on the likes of Randal Kolo Muani, Matys Tel, Wilson Odobert and that man Richarlison.

Capable of playing through the middle or off the left, this is a goalscorer. Wherever Gakpo has been he has scored goals on a regular basis.

The 27-year-old only scored nine times this season as he found regular minutes a struggle but then again, who didn’t find life tricky under Arne Slot in 2025/26?

As the Reds won the title a year before, the Netherlands international was a great deal more productive, scoring 18 times and assisting seven goals. To put that figure into context, no player at Spurs has hit those heights since Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich in 2023.

As a result of that, this is a player who could transform De Zerbi’s attack for the better. He’s a player the creative figures at Tottenham will simply love playing alongside, chiefly the returning James Maddison.

The attacking midfielder played only 34 minutes of football in 2025/26 due to an ACL injury but has proven time and time again just how menacing he is in forward situations.

During Postecoglou’s final season in the capital, only three players managed more key passes per game than Maddison’s tally of 1.3. Those players were Dejan Kulusevski (2.0), Pedro Porto (1.7) and Heung-min Son (1.7).

Likewise, only three players managed more successful dribbles than Maddison’s 1.1 per match. Those two stats illuminate just how big a miss the England international was during their relegation fight. He’s one of the best players in the team and would no doubt thrive alongside Gakpo.

A metric that helps determine just how well this combination could flourish is by analysing something called ‘received VAEP’.

For that statistic, the Dutchman ranked as highly as the top 5% of positionally similar players in Europe during 2024/25. What that means is that Gakpo is one of the best players on the continent for receiving the ball, whether it be via a cross or pass, in what is deemed a dangerous position.

For Maddison, who ranked in the top 1% of midfielders for expected assists per 90 minutes and the top 4% for through ball passes, this should be music to the ears of both players.

Sure, Gakpo is not a genuine world beater but he’s got some eye catching qualities, not least the ability to find the back of the net but also an ability to receive the ball where it matters and carry the ball forward with intent and aggression. That certainly sounds good for employing De Zerbi ball next season.