Liverpool may make a pivotal center-back acquisition this summer.
According to one reporter, Liverpool is putting up an official transfer bid for a new defender.
Liverpool is attempting to sign whom?
That’s the claim made by a Portuguese journalist who appears to have confirmed Jurgen Klopp’s team’s search of a new defender before the transfer market closes.
Goncalo Inacio, a center back for Sporting Lisbon, is the one in question, and the Reds are willing to pay his €45 million (£39 million) release clause.
Liverpool has reportedly sent scouts to observe Inacio play in February. Given the necessity of adding a left-sided center-back, Liverpool may now make a move for the defender.
Newcastle United, a Premier League powerhouse, are also keeping an eye on the dynamic ace; manager Eddie Howe has expressed his intention to make one more acquisition this summer.
Goncalo Inacio: How excellent is he?
The 6-foot-1 defender has spent his whole career with Sporting Lisbon, where he has amassed 123 appearances, 11 goals, eight assists, and two Portuguese League Cup championships.
Jacek Kulig, a talent scout, described the two-cap international as “complete,” and Liverpool will be hoping their mutual interests will entice Inacio to move to Merseyside. Inacio looks to offer the quintessential mould of a modern-day defender destined for a date with an outfit targeting silverware on a regular basis.
Inacio is one of the most promising defenders in the world, and that is not an exaggeration. He is left-footed, which is undoubtedly important to the Reds’ pursuit, and he also has positional fluidity that allows his dynamic qualities to stand out.
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the BBC Sports Raj Chohan outlined just why he would succeed for the Anfield team, highlighting how his abilities are both ideal for a Klopp system and suggest compatibility with Liverpool’s present choices.
“Gonçalo Inácio is the ideal counter-weight to Konaté,” he wrote on Twitter. Inacio-VVD-Konaté: Conductor for building up. Leader, aerial dominator, and play switches. tremendous space coverage and recovering quickness.
According to FBref, Inacio is in the top 6% of center backs in Men’s Next Eight divisions for pass completion, the top 1% for assists, the top 1% for progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries, and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90. He is, however, not among the top five in Europe.
Inacio would be a fantastic addition to the Liverpool squad and help the defense regain its cohesion and tenacity. This would have a cascading effect that would benefit the entire team and give Liverpool an excellent chance of regaining its old vigor.
It might also be a move to rival Manchester City’s £78 million summer acquisition of Josko Gvardiol, formerly of RB Leipzig, given that the Croatian giant, who is also 21 years old, is regarded as one of football’s most talented central defenders and is expected to soar all the way to the top.
Josko-gvardiol
Gvardiol, who is left-handed and has been dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Zach Lowy, is also among the top 10% of positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 19% for progressive passes and carries, and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90. He also ranks among the top 1% for passes and carries.
As Inacio is, it is obvious that he is a forward-thinking, classy defender who plays the ball.
The Croat will now join a Citizen team that is vying for a historic fourth straight Premier League championship after just completing a thrilling European treble last season. It will require an enormous effort to defeat such an impressive group.
Inacio shouldn’t be expected to carry such a heavy load upon his potential arrival, but with careful guidance from Klopp and company in acclimating him to English football, he might develop into one of the Premier League’s best players and help fuel a Liverpool comeback that those connected to the club hope will result in trophy-laden success.