Tottenham are working on a combined £137million move for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Manchester City’s Savinho, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the two wingers standing as Spurs’ only genuine targets on the flanks this summer.
Any deal at that scale would represent Spurs’ third and fourth major outlay of the window, coming on top of the club-record fees already spent rebuilding Roberto De Zerbi’s midfield.
Romano delivered the update on his YouTube channel, and he was explicit that Folarin Balogun is not part of the current plan despite a flurry of reports linking the striker to north London. “The two top targets for wingers remain Cody Gakpo and Savinho,” he said, adding that Tottenham are not working on a Balogun deal despite reports in the previous 24 hours, and that “the alternative is Pedro Neto, who is very expensive.”
The Numbers Behind The £137m Figure
Liverpool are said to want £70-72million for Gakpo, while City are holding out for £60-65million on Savinho, a combined outlay that would eclipse even Spurs’ £100million club-record deal for Sandro Tonali this summer.
Romano’s framing suggests Spurs’ current offer for the Brazilian sits below £60million, some way short of the £65million figure previously reported as close to agreement, which points to a negotiation still finding its level rather than one nearing conclusion.
Context matters here. Spurs have already broken their transfer record twice this window, paying West Ham £85million for Mateus Fernandes before topping that with the £100million Tonali deal from Newcastle. A £137million double swoop for two wingers would represent an extraordinary escalation even by those standards, and it is why Romano is careful to frame this as work in progress rather than deals done.
Liverpool And City’s Contrasting Positions
Liverpool’s willingness to sell hinges on incoming reinforcements. Ben Jacobs reported on August 5 that Liverpool would be more inclined to let Gakpo leave once Bradley Barcola and a second wide forward arrive at Anfield, which suggests Spurs may need patience before Liverpool’s stance softens fully. Gakpo still has four years remaining on his contract and earns around £250,000-a-week at Anfield, both factors that strengthen Liverpool’s hand in any negotiation.
City’s position looks different. Spurs failed to land Savinho last summer, but the valuation gap that derailed those talks appears narrower now, even if City’s asking price still sits above what Romano indicates Spurs are currently offering.
Savinho’s Personal Terms Already Agreed
Crucially, Savinho has already agreed personal terms with Tottenham and is reported to have formally asked Manchester City to let him leave, which strengthens Spurs’ hand even as the fee negotiation with City continues.
Gakpo’s situation is less advanced on the personal side, but his World Cup form, three goals after a difficult domestic season, has clearly not put De Zerbi off; the head coach values his ability to play either as a left winger or a central striker who can push Dominic Solanke and Richarlison for the No. 9 role.
Chelsea’s Neto As The Expensive Fallback
Spurs have identified Chelsea’s Pedro Neto as a backup option should the Savinho deal stall, though Romano’s own description of him as “very expensive” underlines why he remains plan B rather than a genuine alternative target. A transfer between two London rivals would also carry obvious political baggage that neither the Savinho nor Gakpo pursuits face.
Spurs’ summer has already been transformative, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka reshaped the backline before the midfield spend, and the Savinho fee talks now look like the next domino to fall.
Whether Spurs stretch to £137million for both wingers, or land one and pivot elsewhere, will likely become clear before the window shuts, but Romano’s language, “working on,” not “agreed,” is the accurate temperature check for where both deals genuinely stand.
