Liverpool's £123m Barcola Splurge Just Killed Man City's Gakpo Move

Manchester City's £80m pursuit of Cody Gakpo is unravelling, and the reason has little to do with City. Liverpool's own scramble to replace him, capped by a £123m deal for Bradley Barcola, has left them unwilling or unable to let the Dutch forward go, and City have already moved on to a cheaper alternative in Everton's Iliman Ndiaye according to BBC Sport.

It is a classic deadline-day chain reaction. One club's inability to close a signing has reshaped the plans of at least three others, with the picture still capable of shifting again before Tuesday's 11pm deadline.

Why the Gakpo deal is falling apart

City opened talks with Liverpool over a move for Gakpo, and Liverpool were willing to sell, but only on one condition: they needed a replacement winger lined up first BBC Sport reports. That condition has not been met, and it is now the whole deal that is buckling.

The £80m fee that stopped mattering

Even at £80m, City's interest was never going to be enough on its own. Gakpo, 27, has scored 51 goals in all competitions since joining from PSV in 2023, making him too important for Liverpool to release without cover already in place per BBC Sport.

Minteh and Sarr pursuits stall

Liverpool had lined up two alternative targets to free up Gakpo's exit: Yankuba Minteh at Brighton and Ismaila Sarr at Crystal Palace. Both pursuits stumbled on valuation, with neither club willing to meet Liverpool's terms BBC Sport says. Without a replacement, Liverpool are now expected to keep Gakpo unless they can revive a winger deal before the window shuts.

Liverpool's Barcola spend and the knock-on effect

Liverpool did not stand still. They completed the signing of France forward Bradley Barcola from Paris St-Germain for a fee worth up to £123m on the Monday of deadline week BBC Sport reports. On paper, that should have cleared the way for Gakpo to leave.

Why one signing wasn't enough

It hasn't worked out that way. Liverpool would still want another attacking player in if Gakpo departs, not simply a one-for-one swap with Barcola covering the gap according to BBC Sport. That extra layer of squad-depth calculation, on top of the failed Minteh and Sarr bids, is what has effectively stalled the Gakpo exit even after a £123m outlay elsewhere.

• Barcola fee: up to £123m from PSG
• Gakpo asking price: City's proposed bid stood at £80m
• Failed alternatives: Yankuba Minteh (Brighton), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)

The upshot is a squad that has spent heavily this week but, for now, remains unchanged at the top end in terms of departures. Liverpool's aggressive summer spending has bought them options, not certainty.

City's pivot to Ndiaye and what it means for Tottenham

With the Gakpo route closing, City have turned to a familiar alternative. ESPN reports that Manchester City have already agreed a deal with Everton for Iliman Ndiaye sources told ESPN, while BBC Sport frames it as renewed interest that could see City progress a possible move for the Senegal international BBC Sport reports.

Ndiaye's rise at Everton

Ndiaye, 26, has established himself as one of the Premier League's more reliable attacking outlets over the past season, enough to draw interest from two clubs chasing Champions League and title ambitions this window.

Spurs left empty-handed?

The bigger loser here could be Tottenham. Ndiaye had been expected to join Spurs before City's interest resurfaced, and City's superior resources make them favourites to win any bidding battle if it comes to one per BBC Sport. If ESPN's account of an agreement already being in place proves accurate, Tottenham's move may already be dead in the water.

What the conflicting reports tell us

The reporting on both strands of this story diverges in tone, and it is worth being precise about where. On Gakpo, BBC Sport describes the move as close to collapse, still technically alive but fading fast BBC Sport's framing. ESPN goes further, reporting that Liverpool have already rejected City's bid and that Gakpo looks set to stay ESPN sources say.

Two versions of the same collapse

Those accounts are not necessarily contradictory. A rejected bid is entirely consistent with a deal being close to collapse, particularly with two days still on the clock before Tuesday's deadline. It may simply reflect the pace at which each outlet's sources were briefed, with ESPN's rejection line representing the sharper, more advanced stage of the same breakdown BBC Sport is describing.

Renewed interest or a done deal

The Ndiaye reporting shows a similar gap. BBC Sport frames City's involvement as an interest that could see them progress a move, language that implies talks rather than resolution BBC Sport reports. ESPN reports a firmer position, that City have reached an agreement with Everton for the forward according to ESPN. Given ESPN had already reported City's initial Gakpo talks days earlier as first reported by ESPN, their sourcing on this move appears to be tracking slightly ahead of the BBC's, though neither account should be treated as final until City confirm terms.

What happens next

Everything here hinges on Tuesday's deadline. Liverpool have one last window to revive a move for a replacement winger, most plausibly circling back to Minteh or Sarr, and if they manage it, Gakpo's exit could still happen at speed. If they don't, expect Liverpool to formally shut the door and City to press on with Ndiaye regardless of the outcome.

For Everton, cashing in on Ndiaye represents a significant sale in the final days of the window, and the fee involved will be one to watch once terms are confirmed. Tottenham, meanwhile, will need a swift alternative plan if City do beat them to Ndiaye, leaving Spurs' forward-line business unresolved with the clock running down.