Richard Hughes is rubbing his eyes: £60m forward deal is too good to be true | OneFootball

Liverpool have drawn up plans to make big alterations on the wing this summer.

Mohamed Salah is leaving the club following an agreement to rip up his £400k per week contract one year early. And Federico Chiesa is for sale at around €20m with several Italian teams interested in signing the 28-year-old.

The top contenders to arrive have been listed as Yan Diomande, Bradley Barcola and Francisco Trincao.

Diomande, 19, could be available for around €100m if RB Leipzig decide to cash in. It’s looking ever more likely that Barcola will be sold by Paris Saint-Germain although his price could end up being higher than Ivorian winger Diomande.

Trincao is a cheaper option with Sporting CP thought to be willing to cash in at around €50m for the former Wolves and Barcelona player.

And Liverpool’s plans to sign a new superstar winger could be given a huge boost. Because Caught Offside is reporting that Cody Gakpo is the subject of.

Spurs open £60m file on Cody Gakpo

The £250k per week Reds’ forward has emerged as a potential transfer target in the wake of Arne Slot’s sacking at Anfield.

Gakpo, 27, was the Dutchman’s star pupil but stood in the way of Rio Ngumoha on the left wing - much to the consternation of Reds’ fans.

If Gakpo goes it will have two benefits; firstly, there will be one fewer player in the way of 17-year-old Ngumoha in his pursuit of more game time.

With Bayern Munich lurking - and Ngumoha only under contract for two more seasons - it will be crucial for the outgoing Premier League champions to demonstrate his future lies on Merseyside.

And €70m is a not-so-insignificant sum which would go some way towards helping sporting director Richard Hughes pay for a replacement or an upgrade on Gakpo.

Path clears for Ngumoha

Liverpool tend to operate on strict financial controls with new signings being offset by sales. Having spent £450m last summer it’s unlikely that Liverpool will get near that figure this time around.

So a large fee for Gakpo - who signed a new long-term contract last year - would be a very welcome development.

“Tottenham are understood to be preparing a big bid for Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo,” the report reads.

“Spurs are leading the race for Gakpo’s signature, and have internally put plans in place to offer a package worth around €70m for the 27-year-old.”

Liverpool may well get a bidding war going for the Netherlands’ international - who has been with the club since 2023. “Newcastle and Bayern Munich [are] monitoring the player’s situation,” the report continues.

But it also adds that Spurs are at the front of the queue - with developments expected in the near future.

“Tottenham are expected to make a formal approach soon,” the report reads.

So instead of being stuck with an underperforming Gakpo - on massive wages - for the duration of his contract Liverpool could end up cashing in on the former PSV captain.