Liverpool are looking to continue their spending spree in the January transfer window, with a defender being a top priority at Anfield.
If Liverpool do not act quickly to sign Sporting star Goncalo Inacio, history may repeat itself in the January transfer window. The Reds are desperate to bolster their defensive ranks and ensure they have the depth needed to compete in all competitions, but they aren’t alone in that market.
Jurgen Klopp’s team has had a strong start to the Premier League season, winning seven of their first ten games and climbing to fourth place in the table. Liverpool have also performed well in the Europa League and the Carabao Cup, and there is growing optimism on Merseyside that they will contend for at least one piece of silverware this season.
The Reds significantly reshuffled their ranks over the summer, with Klopp orchestrating a major rebuild of his midfield. Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch have all joined the Merseyside club, replacing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
Liverpool were also interested in signing a left-sided defender before the season began, and inquired about the availability of Chelsea’s Levi Colwill, but ultimately decided to wait until January to push more aggressively on that front. Sporting defender Inacio is reportedly a top target in that department, though the Reds aren’t alone in their pursuit.
According to the Spanish news outlet AS, Real Madrid has entered the race to sign the 22-year-old, believing that he is a defender who can add quality to their squad in the short and long term. The Santiago Bernabeu club is dealing with a slew of defensive injuries and is hoping to add at least one reinforcement in January to keep the problems from becoming too serious.
Inacio’s contract includes a £52 million release clause, which was added over the summer, and Madrid are willing to pay such a fee when the transfer window opens to ensure the signing of the Portugal international.
Liverpool will be hoping that history is not repeating itself with Inacio, having missed out on signing Jude Bellingham to Madrid over the summer after the English playmaker had his head turned by the prospect of joining Los Blancos.
The Reds were desperate to sign the ex-Borussia Dortmund playmaker and had done a lot of groundwork in the deal before being forced to back down due to the significant fees involved in signing the midfielder – which Madrid was more than happy to pay. Signing Inacio would be the ideal form of retaliation for Klopp, but the German manager must press the higher-ups at Anfield to act quickly or risk another transfer being hijacked by Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
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