According to Pete O’Rourke via Football Insider, Liverpool are unlikely to sanction the departure of Cody Gakpo this summer amidst interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. The Dutch forward is one of the favourites of Arne Slot, and he has no intentions of letting him leave. Instead, he could look to offer the former PSV forward a new deal to secure his long-term future.
After coming up the ranks and making a name for himself at PSV Eindhoven, Gakpo joined the Merseyside club at the start of 2023. The Dutchman has been a consistent performer for them, and he has gone from strength to strength over the years.
The 26-year-old had quite an important role in Slot’s team during the 2024/25 season. He was involved in a total of 49 matches and contributed towards 25 goals (18 goals, 7 assists). While Cody Gakpo was not a guaranteed starter, he surely impressed Slot with his performances and his ability to feature as a nine as well as a left-winger.
His performances have also put him on the radar of Bayern Munich, who are looking to add more quality to their attack this summer. While Florian Wirtz was their priority target for the summer, Die Roten have failed to convince him and he looks set to join the Merseyside club.
As a result, Bayern Munich are looking at Gakpo as an ideal alternative to bolster their offensive unit. But they are unlikely to get their hands on the former PSV star as Liverpool have no intentions of selling the Slot favourite.
While speaking to Football Insider about the 26-year-old’s future, O’Rourke said, “I’d be very surprised if Liverpool would even entertain any offers for Cody Gakpo. We know Bayern Munich were also in the race for Florian Wirtz – it looks like they’ve missed out on him to Liverpool – and are looking at other attacking reinforcements.
“I think a lot will depend on Leroy Sane as well; if he ends up signing a new contract at Bayern Munich, I don’t imagine they would push ahead to try and sign Gakpo. Gakpo is a big favourite of Arne Slot and did a really good job last season. He got 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions, and at 26, I think he’s coming to the peak of his career.
“We’ve seen what he can do for Liverpool on a regular basis – I don’t think that Liverpool would even consider selling him to Bayern. The most likely scenario might be that Gakpo gets a new contract at Liverpool. He obviously signed two and a half seasons ago from PSV, and still on the same terms as that one I would imagine.
“Although he’s still got three years to run on that deal, Liverpool will maybe sit down with him at some point to discuss a new deal, to sort out his future and end any speculation over a move away. It’s more likely that Liverpool will look to keep Gakpo rather than even consider selling him, despite these links with Bayern Munich.”
Bayern’s pursuit of Cody Gakpo will depend on how contract renewal talks go with Leroy Sane, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the month. If they manage to extend his stay, they might not even try to sign the Liverpool forward.
While the Bundesliga giants are keen on his signature, Liverpool have no intentions of selling him as he is set to enter the prime years of his career. Slot has him as a key part of his plans moving forward, and it is more likely that the Reds end up handing him a new deal to secure his long-term future.
He still has three years left on his deal at the club but is still on the same terms that he signed upon his arrival at the start of 2023. As a result, Liverpool are looking to offer him improved terms, and a new long-term deal to secure his future and reward him for the progress he has made.
