According to Football Insider, Liverpool have concrete interest in signing Sporting Lisbon centre-back Goncalo Inacio this summer.
The Merseyside giants had a frustrating end to the previous campaign. They were in pole position to lift the Premier League title after the March international break, but their end of season form saw them finish third behind Manchester City and Arsenal.
The club are now managed by Arne Slot and Football Insider claim that the Dutchman will aim to mould the Liverpool squad into his own with the new-look recruitment team set to help him in the process of signing new players this summer.
A long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk is among their priorities and the club are said to have ‘concrete’ interest in Inacio. The left-footed centre-back is currently valued at £40 million which is seen as achievable by Liverpool chiefs.
Top-class
Inacio has been linked with a Premier League move for some period of time. Sporting won the Primeira Liga title last season, but they are still looking for a big-money sale to balance their books before June 30.
The Portuguese is one of their highly-rated players and Liverpool could capitalise on the situation to sign him. Inacio has operated in a back three for his club but he generally plays from the left hand side.
Van Dijk is unlikely to be displaced from the starting XI next season, but Slot could be looking into the long-term. Inacio would be an ideal candidate to replace the Netherlands international with his ball-playing ability.
The 22-year-old completed 89% of his passes in the Portuguese top-flight last season. He won 4 duels and almost 2 tackles per game alongside 2 clearances and 5 ball recoveries. He kept 13 clean sheets for his team.
At £40m, Inacio would represent a superb piece of business for the Reds, but they could face competition from Manchester United, as per Football Insider. The Red Devils have been tracking his progress for the past few years.
