Tottenham Hotspur are pushing to complete a third attacking transfer before the September 1 deadline, with Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo in their sights.
Tottenham had to wait seven weeks between completing their sixth and seventh signings of the summer, with Savinho finally completing his move from Manchester City after a 12-month pursuit.
Now, Spurs are also hoping to wrap up a deal for his City teammate Omar Marmoush in the coming hours, to significantly strengthen Roberto De Zerbi’s frontline.
The north London outfit’s lack of firepower was clear to see during their shock 3-0 opening day defeat to Brentford at the weekend, and it only heightened the need for the Italian to get new attackers through the door before next Tuesday, including Gakpo.
Reds boss Andoni Iraola was full of praise for his forward following his performance in his side’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday.
Cody has been one of our best players. His precision has been very good. He scored, he asked for the ball every time. A lot of dangerous crosses and arrivals. He’s playing very well.
De Zerbi looks set to get the extra striker option he wants on the back of a poor display by Richarlison at the Gtech Community Stadium, but he still wants another wide attacker to join as well, to provide competition to the likes of Mathys Tel and Dejan Kulusevski, when the Swede returns from injury.
According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, Tottenham are ‘pushing’ to sign Gakpo from Liverpool, with recent reports of a move for the Dutchman joining Man City being played down.
Gakpo is said to be keen on a move to the capital to play under De Zerbi, who will want his team to show an immediate improvement after the opening day disaster against the Bees.
Gakpo is a Mix of Kane and Son
Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min were an iconic duo for Tottenham, as shown by the fact they hold the record for the most Premier League goal combinations.
Premier League Goal Combinations | |
|---|---|
Kane and Son | 47 |
Drogba and Lampard | 36 |
Silva and Aguero | 29 |
Henry and Pires | 29 |
Sheringham and Anderton | 27 |
Both were heroes among the Spurs faithful, and it was because of the huge qualities they brought on the pitch, and the magical moments they created.
Kane’s strengths need no introduction. He is one of the finest finishers of the 21st century, but he also has a physical presence too, that causes big problems for defenders.
Gakpo is similar in some ways. He has a 6ft 4in frame that allows him to win aerial duels (56 in the Premier League last season), while he was once described by journalist Paul Tomkins as ‘one of the best finishers in the world’, according to the underlying data.
The 27-year-old has sometimes come under fire at Liverpool for some of his performances, but he has produced 51 goals in 181 games for the Reds, and his record for the Netherlands is even more impressive, showing he produces when he needs to and when the pressure is on.
Gakpo’s Netherlands Record | |
|---|---|
Caps | 54 |
Goals | 24 |
There are also many similarities between Gakpo and Son too.
The Netherlands star may not have the explosive pace that Son had but, like the South Korean, he is able to effectively use both feet and is an intelligent player in terms of decision-making.
Gakpo’s former teammate Mohamed Salah certainly believes he is a ‘clever’ and underrated player.
Cody doesn’t get credit because the fans, I don’t know if they really understand his game or not. But he is a very, very clever player. I admire the way he thinks; it’s very, very good. He is young and wants to learn; he asks a lot of questions.
Kane and Son are irreplaceable for Tottenham, but signing Gakpo could just give fans a taste of both players again.
Now it’s over to ENIC to get a deal over the line for the Dutchman in the next week.
