Cody Gakpo agrees shock switch - Man City's transfer spend could soar past €500m

Manchester City are close to striking an agreement with Liverpool to sign Cody Gakpo from Liverpool after prioritising him as their top target, according to reports. The Dutch forward, 27, started the Reds' lunchtime game against Nottingham Forest, assisting Alexander Isak's strike in the second half, with the game finishing 2-2 at Anfield. Gakpo was later brought off to the surprise of some fans in the ground. But considering the uncertainty surrounding his future, it was a decision perhaps taken to protect him from suffering a potential injury.

City had been monitoring his situation in the final days of the transfer window, per Fabrizio Romano, before hijacking Tottenham's move. Gakpo, who currently has a market value of €60 million, may have decided to leave with the impending arrival of Bradley Barcola from PSG. The France international is only an announcement away from making his €145m switch to Liverpool official and he will occupy a spot on the left flank, with Rio Ngumoha and Victor Muñoz competing for a place on the right.

Allan & Ndiaye also targeted

Gakpo is seen as an ideal replacement for Savio, who joined Spurs last week. While City are also set to bring in Allan, 22, from Palmeiras after agreeing a €40m fee for the Brazilian, Gakpo offers proven Premier League experience and adds another alternative for Enzo Maresca to choose from City's abundance of attacking options. Should City fail to agree a deal in time before the September 1 deadline, the Italian will still have Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Claudio Echeverri, Jack Grealish, Ryan McAidoo and Jeremy Monga available to use.

Maresca is also understood to be keen on Iliman Ndiaye, a player he has watched since his days at Chelsea, and Everton may be open to a sale for the right price. The 26-year-old is a key player for David Moyes but would surely jump at the chance to compete for trophies. Likewise, Everton are hoping to bring Grealish back to the club after his loan spell last season and City could decide to include their former club-record signing in the deal to bring the price down.

Man City spending to exceed €500m?

City have already splashed out €273.7m to sign Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Mathys Detourbet, Monga, Gerónimo Rulli and Pierce Charles, while raking in €336.9m in sales. That gives the Premier League giants a €63.2m profit on the balance sheet and the freedom to spend big again to find some replacements.

With Gakpo expected to cost in excess of €95m and Allan's €40m move, a deal for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández also remains a possibility before Tuesday's transfer deadline. Chelsea are likely to demand at least €150m, which in addition to the aforementioned deals could break the €500m mark for City this summer.