The choice City had to make

For a brief, unsettling moment at the end of the summer window, there was genuine speculation that Cody Gakpo could be heading to Manchester City. The Reds were reportedly holding firm at around £85m for their Netherlands international, City were sniffing around, and Liverpool were simultaneously exploring alternatives of their own. It had the makings of a nervous few days at Anfield.

But according to Sergio Aguero, City were never really going to stretch to both Gakpo and Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine legend, speaking to Stake, believes the £125m pursuit of the Chelsea midfielder ultimately meant one thing: Gakpo simply wasn't the priority. "I think it was either Enzo or Gakpo, and they ultimately chose Enzo," Aguero said plainly. City ended their summer-long chase for Fernandez by matching the British-record fee Liverpool had paid to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United back in September 2025. That kind of financial commitment doesn't leave much room for a simultaneous £85m outlay on a wide forward.

Why keeping Gakpo matters

Aguero's verdict is actually a quietly reassuring one for Liverpool supporters. City didn't turn away from Gakpo because they didn't rate him, they turned away because they'd already committed everything to landing Fernandez. That speaks volumes about the value Liverpool hold in the player.

The former striker was measured but clear in his praise for the decision to keep him. "Keeping good players is always positive," Aguero said. "Sometimes a player might not feel comfortable in his position, with the manager or at the club, and that's when he wants to leave. But if [Gakpo] is comfortable with the manager and understands what the manager wants, it's important to keep him. Liverpool are a very difficult opponent to beat, particularly at Anfield. Keeping players like Gakpo is good for the club." It's worth noting that Liverpool themselves had been exploring wide options during that same window, looking at Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr and Brighton's Yankuba Minteh before deciding to hold onto Gakpo. In the end, the club kept their man and moved on.

Aguero's take on Barcola

Aguero didn't stop at Gakpo. He also turned his attention to Liverpool's £123m signing Bradley Barcola, and the assessment was broadly positive, with the familiar caveat that the Premier League waits for nobody.

"The Premier League isn't easy, but he has the qualities to be a very good player," Aguero said. "In reality, he's already a good player, I mean becoming one of the best in the Premier League. He has the necessary qualities, and a lot will depend on where Liverpool are in the Premier League table and whether they're challenging for the title. It's noticeable because there's more pressure. But he's a great player, there's no doubt about that." The title race context Aguero raises is an interesting one, Liverpool will need Barcola performing at his ceiling if they want to be in that conversation come the spring, and how quickly he settles into life at the club could prove decisive in ways that go beyond the individual.