Liverpool have settled one of their most talked about squad questions. It did not need a farewell. Liverpool transfer news Fabrizio Romano supplied on 30 September 2026 says Cody Gakpo is staying at Anfield after Manchester City tried to sign him. Nothing here comes from an official club statement. It comes from Romano, the reporter supporters trust most for transfer calls, and it sits alongside everything Liverpool have done since confirming Bradley Barcola.
Updated: Romano reports Liverpool resolve Gakpo transfer stance
Romano laid out the full picture in a post on X. An £85m bid from Manchester City was turned down, according to Romano. Gakpo had already agreed personal terms with City before changing course and committing his future to Liverpool. His post read:
OFFICIAL: Liverpool have decided to keep Cody Gakpo at the club as they can’t find a replacement.
“£85m bid from Manchester City rejected as Gakpo has accepted to stay, ready to continue at LFC. Manchester City now focused on Ndiaye and Enzo Fernández.”
Liverpool have not confirmed any part of this. Manchester City have made no comment either. For now the story stands as Romano’s account, and our original reporting on Gakpo transfer claims covers how the situation first developed.
Manchester City’s interest and the £85m valuation
Manchester City valued Gakpo at £85m, according to Romano, and were ready to pay that fee. Talks reportedly went far enough for Gakpo to agree personal terms with City. That shows how close the move came before Liverpool’s stance hardened.
City have since turned elsewhere. Romano names Ndiaye and Enzo Fernández as their new priorities, though neither move has been confirmed by either club.
Why Liverpool decided to keep Cody Gakpo
Liverpool have officially confirmed Bradley Barcola’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain on a long-term contract. That signing already underpins the current attack. Barcola gives the club another option in wide areas. Keeping Gakpo, though, was never really about replacing him with a like-for-like option.
Gakpo has started the season as a genuine first-choice pick. Our predicted Premier League lineup for the Bournemouth game showed exactly why. Few players in the squad combine his pace, finishing and versatility across the front line, and Romano’s report suggests the club simply could not find a suitable replacement in time.
Latest Liverpool transfer news from Fabrizio Romano
Liverpool transfer news Fabrizio Romano has broken this week centres on Gakpo. It sits within a wider picture of a squad already reshaped this summer. Barcola’s confirmed arrival is the concrete, official news. The Gakpo situation, by contrast, remains an unofficial report until either club decides to say otherwise.
Romano’s record on Liverpool business gives supporters good reason to take the claim seriously, even while it awaits club confirmation.
What happens next
Liverpool are unlikely to revisit the Gakpo situation this window. Manchester City would need to return with an improved offer, and nothing in Romano’s report suggests that is coming. Barcola and Gakpo can now settle into the same forward line without a looming sale hanging over training.
Alisson’s praise after the victory at Bournemouth, detailed in our report on the away win, pointed to a squad settled and confident. Keeping Gakpo, on Romano’s account, only adds to that stability heading into the next run of fixtures.
