Liverpool are reportedly continuing to prepare a first bid for Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio.

The Merseysiders have been understood to have tracked the Portuguese star for several months, with the intention of bolstering their backline.

Correiro da Manha shared the claim in question amid a quiet January transfer window for much of the English top-flight, excluding sides like Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham.

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Liverpool will have to meet the release clause

The report in question goes on to state that we’ll have to cover the defender’s full release clause of €60m (£51.4m) to sign him in January, however.

A sizeable amount for a player who we at Empire of the Kop have serious doubts over when it comes to his aerial prowess – a non-negotiable, one might have thought, given how adept our other centre-halves are in that area.

It depends entirely on the approach we’re taking moving forward, though it’s difficult to imagine Jurgen Klopp approving any move that deviates from aerial dominance in our own box.

Even if Inacio ranks as something of a progressive demon (99th percentile for progressive passes and 96th percentile for progressive carries) according to stats compiled by FBref.

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Goncalo Inacio is reportedly understood to have rejected Newcastle’s advances a year ago whilst aware of the interest in him from Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Frederico Bartolo wrote for O Jogo at the start of the week that the Magpies have now instead taken the opportunity to try their luck again with a different Sporting Lisbon defender in Ousmane Diomande.

“This move by Newcastle has similarities with the attempt, a year ago, to take Inácio,” as was reported on Monday.

“The defender’s release clause of €45 million – however increased to €60 million – was inviting, but the deal was not done because the player was crucial for Amorim and the Portuguese central defender wanted a project to fight for titles, knowing the growing interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and, later, Real Madrid. 

“Leonine SAD does not want to sell any plant at this stage.”

It’s worth noting that the Ivorian is also on the Reds’ transfer shortlist, though it appears likely that Jurgen Klopp’s men will hold out on making any permanent deals until the summer.

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Caution over FFP will inspire patience

The lack of transfer activity from much of the ‘Big Six’ this January is, perhaps, hardly surprising in light of the recent discovery of teeth when it comes to the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR).

Everton could face yet another points deduction for their trouble, whilst Manchester City, for misdemeanours committed between 2009-2018, await for the release of the exact date of their hearing over 115 charges of alleged breaches.

In that case, we’d expect major transfers to be held off until the summer window – by which point we should have at least a slightly clearer picture as to the landscape.

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Liverpool may have been handed a glorious opportunity to sign a long-standing transfer target by the player himself.

O Jogo reported of Newcastle’s attempts to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande by flying to the Portuguese capital, and the article made reference to a similar approach for his centre-back partner Goncalo Inacio this time last year.

However, the Portugal international turned down a possible move to St James’ Park as he preferred to hold out for a club who’d challenge for major silverware, having been made aware of ‘growing interest’ from the Reds, among other prospective suitors.

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With Liverpool also being linked with Diomande recently, Reds chiefs must be wary of not allowing Newcastle a clear advantage in the chase for the Ivory Coast defender.

However, with Inacio snubbing the Magpies in apparent favour of a move to somewhere like Anfield, that could provide an open invitation to swoop for the 22-year-old.

The Portuguese centre-back can boast a glowing endorsement from journalist Steve Kay, who described him as an ‘elite’ operator with an ‘excellent passing range’ when speaking to the EOTK Insider show in September.

He has a release clause of £52m in his contract (TEAMtalk), which isn’t outrageously prohibitive for a player of his age who’s one of the best defenders in Europe in possession.

As per FBref, Inacio ranks among the top 6% of positional peers on the continent in terms of his match averages for passes attempted (88.82), progressive passes (8.71), progressive carries (1.84) and successful take-ons (0.62).

Those are qualities that Jurgen Klopp would surely love to add to the already impressive selection of centre-backs at his disposal, and the player himself seems to have issued a ‘come-and-get-me’ plea of sorts to Liverpool.

There’s certainly an opportunity there for the Reds to land one of Europe’s most coveted defenders – can they duly seize it?

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Liverpool’s reported interest in Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio has been well-documented in recent months.

Of course, it’s difficult to say with any degree of certainty which long-term signing the Reds will make to bolster the left side of their backline.

Given the Portuguese international’s limited aerial prowess, however, we have some serious concerns over his ability to fill Virgil van Dijk’s boots in the long run.

Which is why recent links to the 22-year-old’s younger centre-back partner, Ousmane Diomande (20), are particularly intriguing.

An actual aerial threat

Lewis Steele reported on Monday for the Daily Mail that the Ivorian is ‘also liked after some stellar performances for Ruben Amorim’s side’.

This week’s Liverpool Confidential with news and views from #LFC…

How Rosenior’s pitch (+ Morton success) sold LFC on Carvalho to Hull
Blackpool watching Blair
LFC add Diomande of Sporting to longlist of CB targets
Women’s transfer newshttps://t.co/sweJtDr238

— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) January 8, 2024

We can see why given, firstly, a younger profile would surely be more attractive when putting forward an argument for a potential signing to wait patiently in our No.4’s lofty shadow.

A key point of intrigue as far as the Dutch international is concerned, however, is Diomande’s comparatively superior aerial numbers to his Sporting teammate.

FBref have the 6’3″ centre-half down as being aerially inferior to Inacio (6’1″) on an initial look – the former ranking in the 21st percentile for aerials won compared to the latter’s 29th percentile – but a deeper dive into the numbers suggests otherwise.

Ousmane Diomande? Now we're talking. A centre-back with an aerial duel success rate of 72% pic.twitter.com/t6cGCL4piN

— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) January 8, 2024

Sam McGuire is, indeed, on the money. FBref have Diomande down as having won 71.8% of his aerial duels in 2023/24 – more than double Goncalo Inacio’s 37% this term and higher than his best season (61.6% in 2020/21).

It’s a serious improvement on his own numbers last term (43.3%) too, not to mention being generally quite impressive for a defender who was still a teenager at the start of the current campaign.

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Shades of Ibrahima Konate transfer

It wouldn’t be the first time Liverpool have apparently given the impression of focusing on one particular player at a club before happily snapping up a different name in the same position.

The footballing world raised a collective brow at our recruitment team’s decision to pursue Ibrahima Konate over Dayot Upamecano, despite most reports at the time heavily suggesting the latter was our top target.

One Frenchman went to Merseyside and the other was quickly snapped up by Bayern Munich.

In that vein of thought, it’s entirely possible those closely following our line of sight in Portugal have misidentified our potentially ideal centre-back target.

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that it won’t be any easier to land Ousmane Diomande either this January or in the summer with a release clause running up at just under £70m – roughly £18m more than Inacio’s.

That said, if the long-term goal is to find someone capable of filling Virgil van Dijk’s boots, you could argue that £70m is a cheap price to pay.

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Credit where credit’s due, Jorg Schmadtke appeared integral in ensuring Liverpool completed their remaining summer business virtually hassle-free.

Dominik Szoboszlai was snapped up via a release clause, whilst Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch were secured with relatively uncomplicated fees.

Now the Merseysiders have a chance to steal a march on the competition and sign a reportedly top target in Goncalo Inacio – whom CaughtOffside claim is ‘working his way firmly up to the top of Klopp’s list’ for the centre-back position – via the aid of a release clause.

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Just how much for Inacio?

A €60m (£51.6m) release clause to be precise – hardly what you’d term a dealbreaker for a potentially elite centre-half.

The question remains as to whether our recruitment team deem him as such.

We’ve raised concerns around the Portuguese star’s aerial ability previously, though, in the interest of fairness, it’s worth highlighting his more appetising traits.

Reliability on the ball (89th percentile for pass completion) and progressing play (99th and 97th percentiles for progressive passes and progressive carries respectively) are mightily impressive.

Inacio is also quite clearly heavily involved in Sporting’s build-up and creative play, registering in the 96th percentile for what FBref call ‘shot-creating actions’.

There’s most definitely a player in there, it just depends on how much of a dealbreaker his poor aerial ability is.

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Fabrizio Romano has played down reports linking Goncalo Inacio to a Liverpool switch in January.

The CaughtOffside columnist did confirm that the Reds have been actively scouting the Portuguese international, though things are far from ‘concrete’ at the moment.

“Goncalo Inacio to Liverpool? We’ve had this story on Inacio and Liverpool for three or four years we hear that Liverpool are close to signing Inacio, but it’s usually the same person linking Inacio to Liverpool,” the Italian reporter told Kick (via The Boot Room). “At the moment I’m not aware of a change, he’s a player they have scouted for a long time, but it’s not something concrete.”

The Merseysiders are said to remain keen on the prospect of bolstering their backline should an ideal opportunity arise.

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Is Inacio the ‘perfect’ profile?

When thinking of left-sided centre-backs, what instantly springs to mind is a Virgil van Dijk carbon copy – or at the very least something of a similar ilk.

Whilst Inacio fits the profile as far as a creative, heavily involved in the build-up, type of centre-halIf is concerned, his lack of aerial dominance could be part of the reason why we’ve yet to make a move.

Otherwise, why else would be stalling on the opportunity to sign a potentially elite centre-back on a release clause of £51.7m?

It seems a reasonable fee for a quality defender, doesn’t it?

Perhaps he’s not quite the perfect profile. Or perhaps we simply believe we could snap Inacio up more cheaply this summer.

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Fabrizio Romano has addressed rumours surrounding one of Liverpool’s most heavily-linked reported targets of recent months.

Goncalo Inacio’s name cropped up regularly throughout 2023, with journalist Steve Kay even telling EOTK Insider during the autumn that the Sporting Lisbon defender was Jurgen Klopp’s ‘number one target’ at Anfield.

However, speaking to Kick, the Italian poured cold water on the prospects of the Reds moving for the 22-year-old in January.

Romano said: “Goncalo Inacio to Liverpool? We’ve had this story on Inacio and Liverpool for three or four years. We hear that Liverpool are close to signing Inacio, but it’s usually the same person linking Inacio to Liverpool.

“At the moment I’m not aware of a change. He’s a player they have scouted for a long time, but it’s not something concrete.”

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Kostas Tsimikas’ recent collarbone injury prompted Portuguese media to revive the Inacio to Liverpool links once more, claiming that the Reds might land the Sporting defender if they’re willing to stump up the £52m valuation of his release clause.

As Romano alluded to, the 22-year-old’s name is one of those which seems to perennially be tied to the Reds without anything discernible actually happening, so we probably shouldn’t cross our fingers for any drastic progress on that front too soon.

Then again, LFC have pulled a rabbit out of the hat before at this time of year, with the stealthy acquisitions of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo springing to mind, so the prospect of the Portugal centre-back coming to Anfield by the end of January can’t be totally discounted.

The emergence of Jarell Quansah has lessened the urgency for Liverpool to strengthen their options in that part of the squad, although there could be a void later this year if Joel Matip’s contract isn’t extended beyond its June expiry.

Despite Romano downplaying any links with Inacio, we can probably still expect to hear plenty of the 22-year-old throughout the duration of the current transfer window.

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According to reports from Portugal, Liverpool are on the ‘attack’ for one player in January as a result of their latest injury blow.

This morning’s print edition of Jornal de Noticias has claimed (via Paisley Gates) that there is ‘harassment from Liverpool’ to try and secure the signing of Goncalo Inacio from Sporting Lisbon in January.

The 22-year-old is reportedly ‘surrounded’ by the Reds as they desperately seek to address the left-hand side of their defence next month, with Kostas Tsimikas’ collarbone injury leaving them without a natural senior left-back to call upon.

Jurgen Klopp’s side duly want to sign a versatile player for that area of the squad, with the left-sided Portuguese youngster high on the agenda at Anfield, although his club would only sell him if his £52m release clause is met.

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While Inacio is indeed a left-sided player, he’s played his entire career thus far as a centre-back rather than on the flank (Transfermarkt), so he wouldn’t be a bespoke option to deputise for the injured Tsimikas or Andy Robertson, who’s been sidelined with a dislocated shoulder.

It’s hoped that the latter will be fit to return towards the end of January, with Joe Gomez set to fill in at left-back until then, having done so on a handful of occasions already this term (Transfermarkt).

Even if the Sporting defender is signed early next month, which’d require Liverpool to move rather quickly, it could be a gamble to utilise him as a full-back if he’s never played in that position before.

However, at just 22, he could certainly give us a long-term centre-back option, which’d be most welcome if the currently injured 32-year-old Joel Matip doesn’t stay at Anfield beyond the expiry of his contract in six months’ time.

Inacio would be deemed at best a makeshift and short-term alternative at left-back if the Reds were to acquire him in January, but such is the depth of our injury crisis right now that any defensive addition would be greatly helpful.

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Fabrizio Romano has outlined what Liverpool must do if they’re to sign one of their reported transfer targets in January.

The Reds continue to be linked with Goncalo Inacio, who’s also believed to be of interest to Arsenal, and the Sporting Lisbon defender has a release clause of €60m (£52m) in his contract (A Bola).

Spanish outlet AS had claimed that prospective suitors could potentially land the 22-year-old if they offer 75% of that figure up front, with the rest in add-ons, but the Italian transfer guru has appeared to contradict those reports.

In his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, in which he also discussed Liverpool’s links with Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, Romano wrote: “Liverpool have also been one of a number of teams linked with Goncalo Inacio, but the only way to sign him is to pay his €60m release clause to Sporting and no one has approached Sporting until now.

“Let’s see if that changes soon, but for now there is nothing advanced for Liverpool with either Hincapie or Inacio.”

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With Romano being one of the most trusted journalists in the business when it comes to transfer rumours, we’d be inclined to go along with his assessment of the situation regarding Inacio.

The Daily Mail reported earlier this week that, while Liverpool have no ‘concrete’ targets in mind for January, they’re open to the possibility of doing business if the right deal become available, with a firm eye seemingly being kept on the Portuguese top flight.

The Reds have previous when it comes to cherry-picking top talents from the Primeira Liga, having done so with the signings of Luis Diaz (Porto) and Darwin Nunez (Benfica) in 2022, so it’s very much possible that they could embark down that particular path again next month.

Many LFC fans are eager for the club to bring in a new centre-back in January following the anterior cruciate ligament injury to Joel Matip; and having previously been described as Jurgen Klopp’s ‘number one target’ by Steve Kay (EOTK Insider show), Inacio could well be the player that Jorg Schmadtke seeks to deliver as he seemingly approaches the end of his brief spell as sporting director at Anfield.

If the 22-year-old is to swap Lisbon for Liverpool, it seems clear that the Merseysiders will need to stump up the full release clause figure of £52m – not an inconsiderable sum, but one which could give us a top-quality central defender for the next decade, if all goes well.

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Liverpool could be at risk of seeing one Premier League title rival push ahead in the transfer race for one reported target.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Arsenal are set to meet the €60m (£51m) release clause for Goncalo Inacio, the Sporting Lisbon defender with whom the Reds have also been linked for some time (The Mirror).

The report stated that the Gunners are ‘tightening [their] grip’ on the 22-year-old, whose club may be powerless to prevent him from leaving in January if Mikel Arteta’s side lodge a bid amounting to the aforementioned figure, despite him signing a contract extension to 2027 as recently as August.

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Jurgen Klopp was recently quite defensive when asked if Liverpool would be considering a centre-back signing in the January transfer window following the anterior cruciate ligament injury to Joel Matip.

Naturally the manager won’t want to unsettle his current options with any public declarations, but surely he must be in the ear of Jorg Schmadtke behind the scenes at Anfield in the wake of that major body blow to the Cameroonian.

If the Reds are serious about trying to add to their ranks in that position next month, they could hardly do better than bringing in Inacio, who – when speaking to the EOTK Insider show in September – journalist Steve Kay dubbed the manager’s “number one target”, also calling him an “elite defender”.

The 22-year-old is sublime with the ball at his feet, ranking among the top 2% of centre-backs in Europe this year for passes (89.19), progressive passes (8.67) and progressive carries (1.87) per game, as per FBref.

He can also make a difference in the opposition penalty area, scoring twice in Sporting’s 3-0 win over Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Liverpool can ill afford to let a direct rival in Arsenal beat them to the punch for such a magnificent player in a position. We may soon get an answer as to whether Kay’s autumn assertion about the Portuguese youngster being Klopp’s “number one target” still rings true.

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Liverpool will be keeping one eye trained on league rivals Manchester United to see whether they might act on their interest in Goncalo Inacio.

The Reds are also understood to be keeping an eye on the Portuguese star ahead of the opening of the January window.

Dean Jones now suggests that the Merseysiders could be tempted into action themselves following an injury to Joel Matip.

“This Matip injury is probably going to bring new expectations from the Liverpool fanbase that perhaps they go into the market to try and sign a centre-back,” the reporter spoke on the Ranks FC Podcast (via The Boot Room).

“It’s not going to be easy to go and do that at the very top level. The name that’s probably hanging around most since the back of last summer is Goncalo Inacio at Sporting who Liverpool have had on their radar for a while and so have Man United.

“He’s not cheap. The age that he’s at, the profile of him, the league he’s coming from all make sense in terms of how Liverpool would want to step up their build. It’s just can they do it in January?

“I hadn’t really been expectant of it, but now there’s this injury to Matip, it does make me wonder if they’re brave enough to go and do this.”

The Cameroonian is now expected to be out of action for several months. It leaves Jurgen Klopp’s men with Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate for options in the heart of defence.

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Liverpool should act now if need be

It wouldn’t be the first time that Liverpool were spurred into action by a rival’s movement in the market.

Fans have Tottenham to thank for inspiring the club to push ahead a window earlier for Luis Diaz, signing the Colombian in January.

Whilst some may be tempted to point to the relative wealth of options at centre-back, it would be such a shame to lose out on a potential top target in Inacio who might be a better fit at Anfield.

Even with a release clause of £51.4m (Sporting’s website), we could be snapping up a bargain of a 22-year-old who could serve the backline for at least the next decade.

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Liverpool are reportedly plotting a January raid for a highly coveted defender who’s previously been billed as Jurgen Klopp’s ‘number one target’.

According to TEAMtalk, there’s a ‘high’ possibility of a move for Goncalo Inacio in the winter transfer window, with Sporting Lisbon set to demand that the defender’s £52m release clause is met if they’re to sell him mid-season.

The Reds are believed to be at the front of the queue for the 22-year-old, who’s said to be ‘extremely keen’ on a move to the Premier League, although he won’t attempt to force a deal out of respect for his current club.

Indeed, he gave his approval to a 33.3% increase to his release clause which was activated upon signing a new contract in August as he wants his employers to receive the best possible fee for him when he’s eventually sold.

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Inacio has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time – TEAMtalk claimed that the Reds have been watching him continually since 2021 and had contacted his agents during the most recent transfer window before switching focus to other targets.

Speaking to the EOTK Insider show in September, journalist Steve Kay claimed that the Sporting centre-back is Klopp’s ‘number one target’, along with describing him as an ‘elite defender’ who boasts an ‘excellent passing range’ and is ‘fantastic at driving out of defence’.

The 22-year-old had a game to forget in the recent Lisbon derby defeat to Benfica, being sent off as his side threw away a lead in stoppage time to lose 2-1, but that seemed to be a rare and unfortunate off-night for him.

Figures from FBref back up Kay’s comments about Inacio’s ability on the ball. Among positional peers in Europe, he features in the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90, the top 2% for progressive carries per game and the top 9% for pass completion and successful take-ons per match.

The emergence of Jarell Quansah has slightly diminished the clamour for Liverpool to sign a centre-back in January, but with the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all susceptible to injuries, few fans would say no to another option coming in to reinforce that area of the squad.

Let’s see if the Reds’ hierarchy will fork out the release clause for the Sporting defender and grant him his desired move to England in January.

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Liverpool’s quest for a left-footed centre-back could lead them to make a big ploy for Goncalo Inacio’s signature.

Spanish outlet Nacional (via Paisley Gates) now reports that the Reds would be prepared to offer the 22-year-old defender a starting role in the team to persuade him over alternative suitors.

This comes amid alleged interest from La Liga superpowers Barcelona and Real Madrid.

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Liverpool must show the money

The Portuguese centre-back will not be allowed to depart Sporting for anything less than his £52.5m release clause.

Whilst that figure shouldn’t necessarily deter us in the upcoming window, we’re struggling to wrap our heads around the club reportedly offering  a starting role.

With Virgil van DIjk back to his imperious best, Jurgen Klopp surely couldn’t sanction such a move?

That would then mean either pushing out Ibrahima Konate and playing Inacio in a less natural position, or a tactical switch-up that would allow him to feature in a back three, similar to what he’s currently experiencing.

Quite a lot of change just for one, albeit talented, centre-back signing.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp overhauled his midfield in the summer with five players departing the club and four new ones arriving.

The Reds’ new-look midfield has helped the club start the campaign strongly, but with our German tactician keen to continue his Liverpool 2.0 rebuild it’s expected that our backline will be the next area of the squad which is refreshed.

One name that has been constantly linked with a move to Anfield is Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio – a player who has previously been labelled as ‘elite’ by journalist Steve Kay.

Rumours last week suggested the Anfield outfit would only need to pay 75% of the Portugal international’s release clause upfront – with the rest paid in bonuses.

A fresh report from Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Anfield Central), however, now claims that Sporting will only be willing to sell if the 22-year-old’s full €60m (£52.3m) release clause is paid in full.

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This could be seen as somewhat of a blow for Klopp and Co. who may have initially been thinking they wouldn’t need to fork out as much money upfront for the defender.

In today’s market, however, Inacio’s release clause is a reasonable fee for a young talent showing so much promise.

After signing a new contract with Sporting in the summer, the reported Liverpool target’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027.

Amid interest also coming from the likes of Newcastle, Manchester United and Real Madrid, though, the side from the Portuguese capital are aware that they have a fight on their hands to retain the services of their No. 25.

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According to reports from Europe, Liverpool have been given a potential boost over one of their rumoured transfer targets.

AS reported (via the print edition of Diario de Noticias) that Sporting Lisbon would be prepared to accept an instalment plan from prospective suitors for Goncalo Inacio, who has a release clause of €60m (£52m), with 75% of that figure to be paid up front and the remainder in the form of performance-related add-ons.

The 22-year-old is expected to make a decision on his future soon, and he’s reportedly likely to depart the Primeira Liga pace-setters in January.

Having more than doubled his wages upon signing a new contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade earlier this year, the defender could enjoy another substantial pay rise were he to join Liverpool, or fellow suitors Newcastle, Manchester United or Real Madrid.

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If these reports are indeed accurate and an initial €45m (£39m) is all that’s needed to potentially win the race for Inacio, it could be a very tempting proposition for Liverpool to pursue in January.

Steve Kay told Empire of the Kop in September that the 22-year-old is ‘an elite defender’ who offers an aerial ‘threat’ and ‘an excellent passing range’, adding that the Reds ‘could be pushing for the title’ if they snap him up in the winter.

Fabrizio Romano has also sung the centre-back’s praises, calling him ‘one of the top young defenders in Europe’ who’d ‘be an amazing option’ for the likes of Jurgen Klopp’s side given his left-footedness.

The reviews are certainly glowing, and although the emergence of Jarell Quansah has lessened the desperation for Liverpool to strengthen in that part of the pitch, these reports about Inacio could nonetheless make him a rather inviting transfer target.

With both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip now 32, the Reds may soon need to start looking beyond that pair when it comes to their options in the centre of defence.

The Sporting Lisbon colossus would certainly be a long-term acquisition and, better still, one who could instantly go into the first team at Anfield.

You can view the report from the print edition of Diario de Noticias below (screenshot credit: Paisley Gates):

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The post Decision expected soon: Liverpool given potential boost over £52m target likely to move in January appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.