Liverpool have rejected a Manchester City bid worth up to £80million for Cody Gakpo, and the proposed Cody Gakpo Manchester City transfer is off for now.
The move had gathered pace after reports on Saturday that Gakpo had decided he wanted to join Manchester City. But Liverpool did not accept the offer, keeping the forward at Anfield after direct talks between the clubs.
Why the move mattered
Gakpo has been a regular starter for Liverpool and has already added goals and assists this season. He scored in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday and also assisted in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, underlining why he remains an important part of the team.
That form helps explain why Liverpool were reluctant to let him go, even with a major bid on the table. Gakpo signed a new five-year contract in August 2025, which strengthened Liverpool’s position and raised the stakes of any January or midseason move.
City’s wider forward picture
Manchester City had been looking to add more attacking depth after recently losing forwards Omar Marmoush and Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur. On Monday, City announced the signing of winger Allan Elias in a €40m deal from Palmeiras, but the club did not get the same result with Gakpo.
For Liverpool, the rejection means they keep a player who has delivered consistent production since arriving from PSV Eindhoven in December 2022. Liverpool signed him for an initial £37m, potentially rising to £44m with add-ons, and he has since become one of the club’s key wide attackers.
Van Dijk’s view
Virgil van Dijk made clear he wanted Gakpo to stay, saying Liverpool should keep quality players. He also said Gakpo is very important for the team and noted that he wanted the forward to remain because he is a friend as well as a teammate.
Whether the story reopens later will depend on what happens in the coming days, but for now the answer is simple: Manchester City’s £80million bid was turned down, and Cody Gakpo is still a Liverpool player.
