Tottenham enter the race to sign £30m Gakpo alternative also wanted by Man Utd

Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign an alternative to Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo after the Dutchman’s price tag emerged last week.

Tottenham view Gakpo as a striker, who could be used interchangeably with Dominic Solanke, but they are yet to make a formal offer for the Dutchman, who started and scored for the Reds in their 2-0 friendly victory against Como on Sunday afternoon.

With Liverpool holding out for £60m, it remains to be seen whether the Netherlands international will exit Anfield this summer, and Spurs are now looking at other options. One of those is SC Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic, who picked up 11 goals and two assists in 31 Bundesliga matches last season.

Freiburg went on to finish seventh in the Bundesliga, securing qualification for the Europa Conference League in the process, and scout Jacek Kulig praised the centre-forward for the role he played, saying: “Igor Matanovic with three goals and an assist in his last two Bundesliga games. A crucial piece in Freiburg’s successful chase for a European spot.

“So glad to see him back in form after a difficult previous season. I still rate him very highly. The Croatian Matador.”

The 23-year-old certainly played a key role, averaging 0.63 goals per 90, which was a higher average than any of Spurs’ players recorded in the Premier League last season.

Tottenham enter contention to sign Igor Matanovic

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are now in contention to sign Matanovic, but they could face competition from Man United, who have held internal discussions regarding a move for the striker.

Juventus were previously engaged in advanced talks over a loan deal including a £30m option to buy, which provides a reference point as to how much the Croatian marksman could cost.

The Red Devils could sign the Freiburg star as a replacement for Joshua Zirkzee, who is yet to feature in pre-season, whereas he could challenge for Solanke’s starting spot at Spurs.

How Igor Matanovic compares to Cody Gakpo

REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff

A deal for Gakpo could be more costly at £60m, but crucially, the Liverpool star is already proven in the Premier League, picking up 32 goals and 18 assists in 127 appearances in the competition for the Reds.

Matanovic, on the other hand, has only had one relatively prolific season in the Bundesliga, amassing just 300 minutes of game time in the competition for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2024-25 campaign.

As such, signing the 12-cap Croatia international would be a risk, and Gakpo should remain Roberto De Zerbi‘s side’s priority target, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old isn’t expected to be an issue.