A month into the summer transfer window, there have been no senior additions to Arne Slot’s Liverpool squad as of yet, although it appears that it isn’t for the want of trying from Anfield chiefs. According to the print version of O Jogo (via Paisley Gates), the Reds are ‘pressing hard’ in their attempts to […]
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A month into the summer transfer window, there have been no senior additions to Arne Slot’s Liverpool squad as of yet, although it appears that it isn’t for the want of trying from Anfield chiefs.
According to the print version of O Jogo (via Paisley Gates), the Reds are ‘pressing hard’ in their attempts to sign Goncalo Inacio as they seek to reinforce their centre-back options.
The Portuguese outlet claimed that, in light of Virgil van Dijk’s recent comments which were interpreted in some quarters as casting doubt on his LFC future, the Sporting Lisbon defender has now been deemed a priority target, with ‘progress’ being made behind the scenes on a potential swoop.
The 22-year-old has a €60m (£50.4m) release clause in his current contract, and his club are adamant that they won’t sell him for anything less, amid reported interest from the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.
Inacio has been linked with Liverpool for a number of months already, and with it being no secret that the Reds are seeking to bring in a centre-back this summer, it seemed inevitable that the Sporting defender’s name would arise once again.
The ambiguous language contained within the report doesn’t exactly scream that a formal offer is imminent, so fans may understandably be sceptical as to whether anything concrete will materialise on that front between now and the end of August.
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If Richard Hughes were to act upon the rumoured interest from Anfield and duly acquire the player for Arne Slot, what sort of defender would we be getting?
As per FBref, Inacio’s passing statistics are among the best in Europe when looking at centre-backs over the past year, averaging a whopping 8.56 progressive passes per 90 minutes. However, he falls down in terms of defensive fundamentals such as interceptions, blocks and clearances in comparison to positional peers around the continent.
We’re not expecting anything too drastic to happen in the coming days in terms of Liverpool’s reported interest in the 22-year-old, but if the need for a new defender becomes even more pressing as the summer deadline looms closer, perhaps that might eventually spark LFC into affirmative action.
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