Liverpool prepare to land ‘priority’ £52m centre-back as selling side have little say in January move

Liverpool target Goncalo Inacio

Liverpool are reportedly ‘preparing a proposal’ for Goncalo Inacio, who is a ‘priority of Jurgen Klopp’ and Sporting CP will have no choice but to accept if the Reds lodge a £52million bid.

Liverpool’s back line has been hindered of late, with injuries to Joel Matip and Kostas Tsimikas in December. Klopp has been left without a left-back, with Andy Robertson also sidelined, and that Joe Gomez is deputising there means numbers are low at centre-back.

While the Reds still have the best defensive record in the Premier League at the moment, the best way to keep that going will be to recruit another defender, rather than hope they don’t begin to leak goals.

Sporting defender Inacio is reportedly a ‘priority’ for Klopp, according to Correio de Manha, after multiple sources have suggested the Reds are interested.

Not only is that reinforced by the new report, but it’s now suggested Liverpool are ready to move on Inacio, maintaining their initial summer interest in him.

Indeed, the report states they are ‘preparing a proposal’ for the defender, and given their defensive woes, it would be unsurprising if that meant they moved for him in January.

It’s widely reported that Sporting will demand Inacio’s entire £52million release clause in order to let him go, and that’s reinforced, with Correio de Manha stating it will indeed cost the full price to ‘release the defender’.

While the report suggests the Portuguese outfit will want to keep hold of him to help their prospects of winning the league, if Liverpool do lodge a bid at Inacio’s release clause, they cannot say no to it.

They’d have to hope in that case that he did not want to leave, but that seems fanciful given the Reds are top of the Premier League.

That said, they might soon have one of Europe’s most exciting defenders to call upon if they do lodge a bid, which could help them maintain their form and romp home to the title.

It would certainly be a worthwhile transfer if they are able to do so.