Goncalo Inacio – The Empire of The Kop

Liverpool plot January raid for ‘elite’ £52m gem who’s keen on Premier League move – report

Liam Togher — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 10:26:49 +0000

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.

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 ready to offer £52m January target starting role in first-XI to lure him to Anfield – report

Farrell Keeling — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 07:39:08 +0000

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.

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.

Goncalo Inacio in action vs Benfica – (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

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 now know what they must do in order to sign £52m ‘elite defender’ – report

Max Rudd — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 09:25:58 +0000

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.

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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Decision expected soon: Liverpool given potential boost over £52m target likely to move in January

Liam Togher — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:15:04 +0000

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.

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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Liverpool could yet again be thwarted by familiar foes in transfer race for 22y/o who Klopp adores

Liam Togher — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:50:35 +0000

Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans must be positively sick of the sight of Real Madrid, both on and off the pitch.

Not only have Los Blancos dashed our Champions League hopes in each of the last three seasons (and four of the last six), they also beat the Reds to the signings of both Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham over the past 18 months – and they may be poised to do so again over another mutual target.

According to AS, both clubs (along with Manchester United) are interested in signing Goncalo Inacio, and it’s reported that the Sporting Lisbon defender ‘would give priority’ to a move to the Bernabeu.

The Liverpool hierarchy may well have that sinking feeling yet again when it comes to a transfer target who’s also wanted by Real Madrid.

If the 22-year-old’s preference is to join Carlo Ancelotti’s side next year, the Reds could have a significant challenge on their hands to try and convince the player of a move to Anfield instead, despite Steve Kay telling the Empire of the Kop podcast in September that Inacio has been Klopp’s ‘number one target’ at centre-back.

The Portugal defender – who has a release clause of €60m (£52.3m) – is renowned for his excellent distribution, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers in Europe over the last 12 months for progressive passes per game (8.96) and the top 6% for pass completion (89.3%), as per FBref.

Liverpool will surely be determined not to let Real Madrid oust them for a player yet again, so Jorg Schmadtke and co might spare no effort in trying to persuade the Sporting Lisbon gem to choose them over Los Blancos.

If it comes off, it’d look like a masterstroke signing. If it doesn’t, at least we have a hugely prodigious centre-back of our own coming through in Jarell Quansah.

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Liverpool have already scouted Ten Hag’s ideal Harry Maguire replacement ahead of United transfer blow – report

Farrell Keeling — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:09:58 +0000

Erik ten Hag is understood to consider Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio as the ideal replacement for Harry Maguire amid interest from Liverpool.

talkSPORT now reports that the Merseysiders have the Primeira Liga defender in their eyeline and could yet scupper their league rivals’ transfer plans.

The publication in question cited a report from the Mirror claiming that Jurgen Klopp’s men had dispatched scouts to keep an eye on the 22-year-old in Portugal’s clash with Bosnia last week.

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The Red Devils could rightly point to the availability of Champions League football at the crumbling Theatre of Dreams as one key differentiator between themselves and Liverpool.

However, any genuinely keeping a close watch on the two clubs will objectively predict that our own project will bear out a far steeper upward curve in the immediate and long-term future as opposed to that taking place in the red half of Manchester.

Inacio would, admittedly, be competing with the likes of Virgil van Dijk as opposed to Maguire for minutes at Anfield, though surely the prospect of being the Dutchman’s long-term successor has to prove more appealing an option?

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Liverpool should move for £52m defender in January; almost no summer discount – opinion

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:10:03 +0000

There may be little point in Liverpool holding off on their pursuit of Goncalo Inacio until the summer given the price difference compared to January is likely to be minimal.

This comes courtesy of A Bola (via Sport Witness), with the publication noting that Sporting would still wish to negotiate for something close to the defender’s €60m (£52.2m) release clause at the end of the season.

The Merseysiders are understood to still be keen on landing a new centre-back at the next available opportunity, though it’s possible Jurgen Klopp’s men could wait for the ideal moment to strike in the summer to focus first on signing a new holding midfielder.

The emergence of steady-Eddie Jarell Quansah will certainly have helped allay fears over the level of depth present in the backline.

Still, the spectre of the 2020/21 season still looms relatively large over a side that embarked on a spectacularly poor title defence – owing in no small part to a swathe of injuries suffered in the defence that term.

We could yet gamble on circumstances remaining consistent throughout the campaign, though there’s certainly a case for the club taking precautions against recent history repeating itself.

Certainly, if finances align and there is indeed no advantage to holding off until the summer, it’s worth some exploration on our part!

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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113 passes completed: Liverpool scouts might like what they saw from duo on international duty

Liam Togher — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 08:10:32 +0000

Liverpool had scouts present at a Euro 2024 qualifier in recent days to keep watch on two players in particular.

As per 90min, the Reds dispatched representatives to Zenica on Monday night to witness Portugal trounce Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-0, with all of the goals coming in the first half.

The Anfield scouting team were keeping a close eye on Goncalo Inacio, who featured for the entire match, and Pedro Neto, who came on as a substitute in the 66th minute.

Both players gave tidy if unspectacular performances on the night, as illustrated by statistics from Sofascore.

They were particularly strong in terms of ball retention, with Inacio playing 97 accurate passes out of 103 (the second-most of any Portugal player) and Neto finding a teammate with each of his 16 passes after he came on.

The Sporting Lisbon defender also made two clearances and one interception, albeit that the Portuguese defence wasn’t overly taxed, with Bosnia managing a paltry three shots across the 90 minutes.

The one concern which might’ve been identified by Liverpool scouts at the game was the ease with which the aforementioned duo were beaten in their individual duels.

Neto contested just one and came out second best, while surprisingly for a centre-back, Inacio won only one of his six battles on the night.

Nonetheless, the Reds’ scouting team will probably have liked what they saw overall from both players, and we now await to see if their reports will lead to demonstrative action from the club’s hierarchy.

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‘He’d be an amazing option…’ – Romano shares latest on left-footed gem Liverpool have scouted

Liam Togher — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 06:46:21 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has described one player who Liverpool have scouted as ‘an amazing option for any club’.

Last month, Steve Kay told the EOTK Insider show that Goncalo Inacio is Jurgen Klopp ‘number one target’ for January, having been linked with the Reds throughout the summer.

The Italian transfer reporter has now shared what he knows on the Sporting Lisbon defender in his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, outlining that the Merseysiders have sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old without making any formal approached to the Portuguese club for him.

Romano stated: “Goncalo Inacio continues to impress as one of the top young defenders in Europe, showing huge potential with Sporting Lisbon and recently working his way onto Manchester United’s potential list of targets, as I reported here.

“But there is also Liverpool – the Reds have always been in the stands to scout and follow Inacio, but at the same time they never sent official bids or started negotiations.

“There’s nothing new so far, as he signed a new deal at Sporting in August as there was nothing concrete happening with UK clubs. Still, I think he’d be an amazing option for any club, Liverpool or United in particular; left footed players at that level are very rare to find.”

It’s not just Romano who’s spoken very highly of Inacio among the media – the aforementioned Kay described the 22-year-old as ‘an elite defender’ who offers a ‘threat going forward in the air’, boasts ‘an excellent passing range’ and is ‘fantastic at driving out of defence’.

The journalist added that Liverpool capturing him would potentially turn them into genuine Premier League title contenders, such is his quality.

The numbers back up these glowing appraisals of the Sporting centre-back, who in this season’s Europa League has averaged 1.5 shots, four successful aerial duels, 1.5 interceptions, 5.5 clearances and 7.5 accurate long balls per game, along with a passing success rate of 90.1% (WhoScored).

Inacio’s left-footedness could also be a major plus point, with all of the Reds’ current central defensive options stronger on their right (Transfermarkt).

There have been reports in recent days that Fluminense midfielder Andre Trindade would be Liverpool’s main target for January, but considering the attributes boasted by the Portuguese defender, he could also be well worth inclusion near the top of the to-do list in the winter.

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Liverpool learn new release clause of 22 y/o defensive target; current club are ‘resigned to losing’ him – Football Insider

Max Rudd — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 12:25:09 +0000

After signing a new deal in August Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio now has a release clause inserted in his contract worth £52m.

The 22-year-old, who is a target for both Liverpool and Manchester United, has become a regular for the Portugal national team in the last 12 months and made 52 appearances for his club last term (across all competitions).

Football Insider are now reporting that the Lisbon-based outfit are aware that they have a fight on their hands to retain the services of the central defender in the next two windows.

The report adds that Jurgen Klopp’s side and Newcastle were keen on signing the Sporting Academy graduate in the summer but no move ever materialised.

Journalist Steve Kay told Empire of the Kop recently that the Merseysiders remain ‘very, very interested’ In the defender’s signature.

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The Anfield outfit were believed to be eager on signing a left-footed defender during the previous window but instead signed four central midfielders.

That means the Reds could continue their interest in the Portuguese either in January or at the end of the season with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk now the wrong side of 30 and Ibou Konate picking up a high number of injuries since joining the club in 2021.

In today’s market a fee of £52m is no longer eye-watering so it’ll be interesting to see if we make a move.

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After Gravenberch: Liverpool have been in talks with next signing since summer window

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 19:28:13 +0000

Liverpool have continued their work behind the scenes off the back of the summer transfer window, with a fresh move potentially already lined up for Goncalo Inacio in January.

Steve Kay shared that the Merseysiders have engaged in talks over the Portuguese defender since the end of the prior window.

“I’m certainly getting a feel from the people I’m talking to that this is one they’re pushing for,” the reporter told Empire of the Kop on the EOTK Insider show.

“Talks have taken place since the end of the transfer window – I’ve been told they have continued. So they’re definitely pushing.

“When a club puts in another release clause into a new contract, that generally means that the player’s up for sale.

“When you’re hearing people close to the club saying ‘this is Klopp’s man, he wants him’, you do get that feeling… I never really heard those things with [Moises] Caicedo, I never had those types of conversations with sources over [Romeo] Lavia.

“There was never that when you see Klopp in press conferences… you never got that feel.”

The 22-year-old is understood to be available for a release clause valued at £51.5m, which would fit neatly within the £60m budget the Reds are understood to have set aside for a new defensive signing in January.

With options rather limited beyond Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate (albeit, both Joel Matip and Joe Gomez have been far from poor when called upon), there’s a clear need to bolster our centre-back numbers at the earliest available opportunity.

There may not be any need to panic just yet, of course – we’ve yet to lose a key defender for a long period of time, a la 2020/21, though it would represent a gamble on our part to push for a return to the top four spots without some reliable backup waiting in the wings.

We desperately want a left-sided, young centre-back. Those are two boxes Inacio ticks, and he would still, arguably, represent a snip at £51.5m too in a heavily inflated market if it’s genuinely believed that he could be a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk on the left of defence.

#Ep90 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay – Goncalo Inacio NEXT?

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Liverpool have dream transfer lined up for 2024; he could replace Van Dijk – journalist

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 18:39:52 +0000

Steve Kay has suggested the potential signing of Goncalo Inacio of Sporting CP in January could be exactly what is required to propel Liverpool into a title challenge.

Four games into the league season, the Reds haven’t failed to impress, winning 10 points out of a possible 12 from a challenging open bout of fixtures, including meetings with Chelsea and Newcastle United.

The Portuguese defender was linked with a switch to Anfield throughout the window, though a move never quite materialised amid the club’s hunt for central midfielders.

“Make no doubts about this. Since breaking into the first team, he’s become a breakout star in Portugal,” the Football Transfers journalist spoke on the EOTK Insider show.

“I think he’s made around 120 appearances, registering 11 goals and eight assists from the centre-back position. He’s a threat going forward in the air, has an excellent passing range, he’s also left-footed! Which we know is very hard to come by.

“He’s got so many different attributes. He’s fantastic at driving out of defence, he’s a tough tackler… for me, this is an elite defender.

“If Klopp can get this one over the line in January, who knows? They could be pushing for the title, they really could.”

That could be about to change relatively soon, with Kay sharing details of Liverpool’s budget and the affordability of Sporting’s release clause for the 22-year-old.

The reporter went on to add: “He has got every single attribute, I feel, to bring at Liverpool and be that successor for one of the big players, Konate or Van Dijk for years to come.

“The big thing for me is the way I’ve been told he’s Klopp’s No.1 target.”

Though we’re in no rush to enter a future without Virgil van Dijk, it’s certainly sensible that we’ve begun planning for life without our talismanic No.4.

An ability to contribute to build-up play with his passing range and demonstrate reliability in possession (as illustrated by a 91st percentile ranking for pass completion rate compared to his centre-back peers, according to FBref), will be key for the future of our backline.

Standing at only 6ft tall, we’d have concerns, of course, over whether the Portuguese star could be as aerially dominant as our Dutch colossus, though it’s reassuring to hear that the player is rated in that department in the Primeira Liga.

#Ep90 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay – Goncalo Inacio NEXT?

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‘Top of the list’ – Journalist says Liverpool are continuing to work on ‘Klopp’s number one target’

Liam Togher — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 15:20:34 +0000

Journalist Steve Kay has said that Liverpool are continuing to work behind the scenes on a potential January move for a player described as Jurgen Klopp’s ‘number one target’.

The Reds had been linked with Goncalo Inacio during the summer transfer window (Football Transfers) but instead he remained at Sporting Lisbon, where he signed a new contract which sees his release clause nearly doubled to €60m (£51.5m).

The Merseysiders’ focus in the winter market is likely to be on defenders, having revamped their midfield since the end of last season, and the 22-year-old is believed to be ‘top of the list’ for LFC.

Speaking exclusively to the Empire of the Kop podcast, Kay said: “I was told yesterday that Liverpool are still very, very interested in signing Goncalo Inacio. According to my sources, talks have continued since deadline day over the possibility of signing him in January.

“I’ve also been told that [a new centre-back is] a priority in the next transfer window for Klopp, and I’ve also been told that a £60m transfer budget has been made available to bring a player in for that position.

“The player that’s still top of the list is Inacio. I’ve been told that he was very close to signing for Liverpool during the last window, but in the end he had decided to stay at Sporting to apparently get them through to the knockout [stages] of the Europa League.”

Kay added: “The deal is definitely still alive. My sources told me that the real reason why Inacio signed a new contract was so that Sporting could [put] up the release clause and therefore get more money out of Liverpool…Similar to [Ryan] Gravenberch, the player is Klopp’s number one target in that area of the pitch, so this is definitely one to keep an eye on.”

When looking at Inacio’s statistics from the past 12 months in comparison to other centre-backs in Europe, his ability on the ball immediately stands out.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% in the above category for progressive passes per game (8.6), the top 3% for progressive carries (1.9 per 90), top 9% for pass completion (89.2%) and top 10% for successful take-ons (0.5 per match).

In addition to his obvious talents in possession, Kay outlined on the Empire of the Kop podcast that the 22-year-old is ‘a beast’ who’s ‘hard in the tackle’, which indicates that he’d have the physical fortitude to complement his talents on the ball.

Notably, Inacio is also left-footed, a commodity which’d automatically be a big plus point to Klopp given that all his current centre-back options are stronger on their right.

He’s still young enough that his peak years lie ahead of him, while also boasting the experience of almost 130 senior games for club and country, with 10% of those coming in the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

Taking all that into account, it’s no wonder the Portuguese defender is seemingly ‘top of the list’ for Liverpool, whose ongoing work behind the scenes will hopefully translate into his eventual signing by the time January rolls around.

#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Five defenders Liverpool could still sign before the window closes – Opinion

Farrell Keeling — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:04:07 +0000

Liverpool could be set to seal the transfer of Ryan Gravenberch and complete an astonishing midfield rebuild a day before the window closes.

Their business shouldn’t be done by that point, however, with the suspension of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate’s muscle injury highlighting just how fragile things are in the Reds’ backline at the moment.

A left-sided centre-back is understood to be the top priority for the back four with many a name having already been linked to Jurgen Klopp’s top four hopefuls.

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1) Piero Hincapie

Seems a highly unlikely one at this stage with Bayer Leverkusen digging their heels in over the future of their star man.

Ian Doyle’s report on the matter indeed suggests the centre-half will be financially out of reach for the Reds at this stage in the window, though we’d more than agree that he’d be a potential steal at £40m. IF that was something Xabi Alonso’s men would be open to.

Perhaps not one to hold your breath for, though!

2) Arthur Theate

A comparatively more viable solution for Liverpool one might think, with French outlet L’Equipe reporting that Rennes are keen on snapping up Joel Matip as a potential replacement for Arthur Theate should the Belgian depart.

If this story is to be taken at more than face value, the solution looks pretty obvious from where we’re standing!

Liverpool did want an extra defender, admittedly, which may prove a barrier given that we’re looking to bolster the squad rather than maintain the status quo.

That said, if the player can prove more robust than our favourite Cameroonian star – his injury history indeed suggests he can with only one game missed in recent years for Bologna back in the 2021/22 campaign – it’s perhaps worth the gamble.

3) Perr Schuurs

The 23-year-old has earned a few links to Anfield amid Liverpool’s search for a centre-back this summer… which makes absolutely no sense given he’s a right-footed player.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are looking for, as we’re all more than familiar with by now, a left-footed operator in that department.

At least, that is what we’ve been led to believe is the case, unless there’s been a review of the situation with recruitment and coaching staff now of the mind that backup for the injury-prone Ibrahima Konate is of comparatively greater importance.

At any rate, the player looks like he could end up in London with Ange Postecoglu’s Tottenham if one report from TEAMtalk is anything to go by!

4) Goncalo Inacio

The man many thought Liverpool would be a bolt-on to sign this summer looks set to remain in Portugal with Sporting CP.

That would be a real shame, with the 21-year-old appearing a superb potential option for us given his ability to feature both in the left-back and centre-back positions.

Amid ongoing questions over Andy Robertson’s suitability for our new box formation, one would have thought Inacio would have been an attractive option.

With a release clause set at £51.3m, however, it seems that we won’t be biting this summer, and with Football Transfers reporting that Newcastle are now sniffing around the player, we may not get another chance either.

5) Antonio Silva

Liverpool had looked at the Benfica man in January, according to Football Transfers, though with an even bigger release clause (£77m) standing in the way, we just can’t see Jorg Schmadtke and Co. going big here.

Securing Ryan Gravenberch for under £30m would leave some room in the budget to manoeuvre for a top defensive signing, though Silva might just be too rich for our taste as things stand.

One to keep an eye on down the line perhaps, but it’s not a viable move as far as we at the Empire of the Kop are concerned.

#Ep88 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Four clubs watching Liverpool target; Reds can beat them all with £42.9m bid right now – report

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:21:07 +0000

Liverpool may have to move fast to snap up reported defensive target Goncalo Inacio this summer amid interest from Newcastle, PSG, Wolves, and Manchester United.

This comes courtesy of Diario de Noticias (as relayed online by Paisley Gates), with Sporting CP having taken action to increase the defender’s salary and release clause – the latter up to £42.9m.

One might imagine that the Reds’ need for a holding midfielder will take priority, of course, if the draw against Chelsea was any indication.

Even with the boost beyond the £40m mark, Liverpool would surely have to consider such a fee attainable in their search for a left-footed centre-half.

With £111m in the transfer kitty, just under £70m to spend on a replacement for Fabinho should surely be enough to land us a suitable target.

The difficulty now, of course, is that clubs across Europe in possession of any option previously linked with a move to Merseyside – think Florentino Luis, Cheick Doucoure, Youssouf Fofana, and so on – will no doubt react accordingly by raising their prices in line with our demand.

It’s the price we have paid for our ambitious move for Moises Caicedo. Though, we shouldn’t let that deter us now in light of the potentially vast damage that could be caused without investing in a number six.

A defender, whether it be Inacio or another, can wait.

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