Andoni Iraola hinted at next Liverpool transfer after Bradley Barcola — Yahoo Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

Andoni Iraola hinted at next Liverpool transfer after Bradley Barcola

Andoni Iraola has suggested it’s not a guarantee that Cody Gakpo will remain a Liverpool player after the September 1 deadline.

The Dutchman has been heavily linked with a potential move to Premier League rivals Tottenham , while Man City are likewise understood to maintain interest.

The former PSV star’s current terms are set to run until the summer of

Andoni Iraola suggests Cody Gakpo exit is possible

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

It’s worth pointing out that Liverpool won’t just let Gakpo go willy-nilly.

A sizeable fee will be required – potentially in the region of £60m ( Football Insider reports), but we suspect it will be closer to the £70m-80m range – and that’s assuming the Reds bring in the numbers they’re looking for.

“When the market is open, you cannot guarantee anything with anyone,” the Basque told Sky Sports.

“You never know what’s going to arrive. I would like to know how the market’s going to finish, but I don’t know what’s going to happen with our players.

“I cannot guarantee anything.”

Bradley Barcola’s impending arrival , with the Merseysiders having agreed on a £120m package deal with PSG, has certainly helped matters in Spurs’ favour.

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But there’s an expectation that a further wide signing will be required before Liverpool will seriously sanction a sale.

It’s worth noting that Iraola likely won’t allow Gakpo to leave quietly otherwise, given the manager considers the versatile 27-year-old a viable option at centre-forward.

Cody Gakpo shouldn’t go anywhere until Liverpool sign a backup striker

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Assuming Bradley Barcola’s transfer proceeds without a hitch, Liverpool will, in theory , have an ideal selection of wide men as far as pure numbers are concerned:

Rio Ngumoha

Bradley Barcola

Victor Munoz

Cody Gakpo

Now, that’s obviously a selection heavily tilted to the left side of the forward line. Either way, we still can’t afford to allow Gakpo to depart without an additional forward signing, which could be any one of the likes of Ibrahim Mbaye, Yankuba Minteh or Ismaila Sarr.

More to the point, even with the arrival of a naturally right-sided winger, Liverpool would still find themselves short of backup for Alexander Isak centrally.

Our concern, of course, is that much of the reporting coming out of Liverpool indicates we’d be happy to part ways with the Dutch international provided that two attackers’ signatures have been secured.