Roberto De Zerbi is eager to reinforce his forward line ahead of the transfer deadline at the beginning of next month.
The Tottenham manager has been advised to acquire Cody Gakpo and recreate the celebrated Christian Eriksen-Dele Alli combination at the club. The Liverpool wide player has seen strong speculation linking him with a switch to the north London side this summer as Johan Lange attempts to finally strengthen the attack.
This transfer window, Spurs’ director of football has invested approximately £230million in new signings, bringing in three defenders, two midfielders and a goalkeeper, though he has yet to land a striker. football.london reports that Tottenham are monitoring Gakpo, whose deal at Anfield runs until June 2030.
The 27-year-old is apparently one of several forwards on their wishlist, alongside Savinho and Omar Marmoush. The north London club would need to submit a substantial bid to persuade Liverpool to sell Gakpo, who Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola would be looking to replace.
Despite concerns that the Dutch international may not justify a huge fee, Spurs have been informed he would suit their requirements ideally. Speaking to iGaming, Neil Ruddock backed Gakpo to make an immediate impact at the club.
The ex-Tottenham and Liverpool defender stated that given Spurs’ current direction, Gakpo matches what they are seeking. He explained that both Liverpool and Tottenham are possession-based teams that prioritise technically skilled players, so the tactical adjustment would be straightforward.
He added that it still surprises him because he believed Gakpo suited Liverpool perfectly, describing him as hardworking, disciplined and productive. Living in Kent, he only manages to visit Anfield twice yearly but has always held the player in high regard. If Gakpo does depart, it would genuinelyastonish him, though he would fit seamlessly into Spurs’ setup.
Ruddock also proposed that Gakpo, priced at £51.3million by Transfermarkt, could combine with Maddison to mirror the Eriksen-Alli partnership from years gone by. He noted that if Maddison operates in the number 10 position and combines with Gakpo, it could recall that old partnership.
He explained that Dele thrived because Eriksen was consistently providing him with assists. Ruddock also highlighted that Tottenham might benefit from signing a traditional centre-forward.
He acknowledged that Spurs genuinely require an out-and-out number nine, so while Gakpo would surprise him, Tottenham keep acquiring versatile forwards who are not conventional centre-forwards.
At present, it remains unclear whether Lange will sign an attacking player this summer, despite De Zerbi pushing for additions. During the pre-season trip to Australia last month, the Tottenham head coach first outlined his wish to strengthen his forward line.
De Zerbi commented that the aim now is to finalise the attacking roles. He wants the primary target, the initial level, because they already have significant players, but to launch the new project they need another couple of important additions without doubt.
The Italian subsequently hinted that a major signing could be imminent and compared himself to a shark in the transfer market. De Zerbi stated that they have completed 60 percent of their project in the transfer market.
He noted they now have another major addition coming. He hopes it is close but it is definitely not done yet. They must increase goals through their play, through quality in midfield and attack, but they need to bring in players capable of scoring.
He explained that in the transfer market, the idea is that 24 hours per day you consider who is the best player to bring in. You follow the news, who is going, who is leaving. He loves working in the transfer market.
He said it is not pressure, it is one of the most enjoyable parts of his work. In the transfer market, when he wants a player, he becomes like a shark with no possibility of refusal.
De Zerbi later tempered expectations about a headline signing, suggesting the term bomba has a different meaning in Italian compared to English. Nevertheless, time is ticking away, with the transfer window due to close at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1.