Liverpool are targeting Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio after failing to achieve their seasonal goals, and will hope to beat a Premier League rival to the Portuguese ace this summer.
What’s the latest on Goncalo Inacio to Liverpool?
That’s according to Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness), revealing that – alongside Newcastle United – Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are ‘in the mix’ to sign the 21-year-old after registering an interest in the winter market.
Sporting will demand around €45m (£41m) for the pass-proficient defender, with the sticking point stemming from the Liga Portugal outfit’s demand for the entirety of the fee to be met instantly.
But with Liverpool seeking a left-footed central defender to bolster the ranks after finishing fifth in the league last season, it might be a deal worth the money.
How good is Goncalo Inacio?
When Virgil van Dijk was signed from Southampton for £75m in the winter of the 18/19 season, he activated Klopp's system and provided newfound defensive solidarity to kickstart an illustrious period in the club's history.
The 31-year-old's ball-playing prowess and offensive acumen, though, has been just as mighty as his transformative effect on the fortitude of the backline, with FBref ranking the Dutchman among the top 4% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 1% for touches in the attacking box and the top 3% for total shots attempted per 90.
He's even left Brazilian legend Ronaldinho waxing lyrical, with the revered attacker stating: "You are fantastic, [you] play with elegance and command the defence like a maestro … congratulations!"
Despite a less than propitious year with the Reds, discernibly lacking in his former imperiousness and culpable for a multitude of erroneous, subpar performances, the £220k-per-week titan has been the defensive centrepiece for his Merseyside, winning a maiden Premier League title with Liverpool, the Champions League and FA Cup – notably.
Which brings us to Inacio, who has been earning all the plaudits for his work in the early stage of his professional career in his homeland, already described as the "complete" centre-half by talent scout Jacek Kulig and chalking up 122 appearances with the Leões, scoring 11 goals and supplying eight assists.
While he currently plies his trade outside a 'top five' European leagues and subsequently is ranked by FBref against players across the Men's Next 8 divisions – below the said leagues – he has exhibited the superlative nature of his passing skills.
The two-cap international ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 2% for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.
Heralded as a "leader" and an "aerial dominator" by one Premier League analyst, He clearly boasts the requisite ability to flourish in a Klopp team, characterised by its pressing and attacking flair, hence demanding defenders efficient on the ball and composed under pressure.
And given that Inacio is an amazing talent with all the tools to craft success at the highest level, he might just be the perfect option to absorb the fruits of Van Dijk's labour and assume his role for the next phase in Liverpool's history.
