Manchester City and Liverpool could become embroiled in a transfer tussle involving one of the highest-rated defenders in European football.
As reported by CaughtOffside in recent days, the Reds’ recruitment team have identified Goncalo Inacio as a prospective centre-back target for 2025, although they’re highly unlikely to have a clear run at trying to sign the Sporting Lisbon defender.
As per a report from Defensa Central, Man City could have a trump card up their sleeve in their efforts to land the 23-year-old.
With Txiki Begiristain leaving his role as director of football at the Etihad Stadium, he’s set to be replaced by Hugo Viana, who holds the equivalent position at Sporting CP.
The ex-Newcastle midfielder has targeted Inacio as one player that he’d like to bring with him from Lisbon to Manchester, and the obvious Alvalade connection could give the Premier League champions a potential edge in the race for the Portugal defender.
Inacio – whose contract contains a €60m (£50.1m) release clause (CaughtOffside) – has stood out as one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in European football over the past year.
As per FBref, he ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 minutes among positional peers on the continent in that timeframe, along with the top 7% for progressive carries and top 11% for pass completion.
Those figures suggest that he’d be a very good fit for Arne Slot’s style of play at Liverpool, and while the same could be said about Pep Guardiola and City, the Spaniard’s future at the Etihad is the subject of much speculation as he nears the end of his current contract.
Viana’s impending move to Manchester might help to give them an edge because of his exisiting connections with Inacio, but Anfield chiefs may hope to pounce upon any possible managerial uncertainty down the M62.
As with every centre-back with whom the Reds are linked right now, much could depend on whether or not Virgil van Dijk signs a new contract on Merseyside in the coming months.
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