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Liverpool’s summer just went from bad to worse. Cody Gakpo has told the club he wants out, adding another layer of chaos to an Anfield that has already lost Mohamed Salah and manager Arne Slot in quick succession.
The Dutch forward’s desire to leave reportedly stems from concerns over reduced playing time and the general uncertainty swirling around the club following its managerial shakeup.
What’s driving Gakpo toward the exit
Salah’s contract was terminated early in 2026. That departure didn’t just leave a hole in the lineup. It left a hole in the club’s identity.
Then there’s the Arne Slot factor. The manager who brought Gakpo further into the fold is gone too.
Gakpo currently earns a reported £250K per week, making him one of the higher-paid players on Liverpool’s books. That salary complicates things in both directions: it makes him expensive for Liverpool to keep if he’s unhappy, and it narrows the pool of clubs that can realistically afford him.
Who wants him, and who can afford him
Interest in Gakpo is reportedly growing from some predictable corners. Bayern Munich is among the clubs keeping tabs. Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked.
It’s worth noting that no official transfer request has been submitted. There’s a meaningful gap between a player telling his club he’d like to leave and a player formally demanding a transfer. Gakpo appears to be in the first category for now, which gives Liverpool some leverage.
Liverpool’s bigger problem
Losing Salah, Slot, and now potentially Gakpo in a single summer is a significant upheaval. Liverpool’s board needs to act decisively, either by convincing Gakpo to stay with a clear plan for the future, or by extracting maximum value from his sale and reinvesting intelligently.
The £250K weekly salary means Gakpo’s transfer fee would need to be substantial for Liverpool to come out ahead financially. Any buying club knows that Liverpool is negotiating from a position of weakness if Gakpo’s desire to leave becomes public knowledge. Which, of course, it now has.
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