Report: Liverpool Offered Huge £37m Transfer Opportunity to Sign ‘Talented’ Defender | OneFootball

Liverpool Could Reignite Interest in Former Defensive Target for Just £37m

Frustration has started to grow over the past week or so as Liverpool remain one of just two Premier League clubs yet to make a first-team signing this summer, along with Fulham. Despite this, rumours remain as prominent as ever with the likes of Takefusa Kubo and Ederson being linked with a move to Anfield over recent days.

However, there is also a more familiar name dominating the headlines over the past few days with Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio, once again being linked with a move to Liverpool. The 22-year-old has previously been tipped to make the move to Merseyside for a few windows now, but the young defender is expected to eventually get his move away from the Portuguese side this summer.

With that being said, would Liverpool be willing to finally make a concrete move for the defender? Let’s take a closer look…

Photo: IMAGO

Who is Goncalo Inacio?

For those of you who may not be familiar with Inacio, he is a 22-year-old left-footed defender who has quickly became one of the most highly-rated defenders in Europe right now. Since coming through the Sporting Lisbon academy, he has became a regular fixture in their first-team squad – racking up 171 senior appearances for the Portuguese champions.

His impressive club form has also earned him 11 senior caps for Portugal, with two of those coming in EURO 2024. As well as earning international experience, he has also been propelled onto the radar of multiple top clubs across Europe, with Liverpool and Manchester United being the two mostly mentioned.

Financial Opportunity

The word ‘opportunistic’ has often been labelled alongside Liverpool’s plans for this transfer window and Goncalo Inacio certainly fits that bill. Reports from Portugal claim that Sporting would be willing to negotiate a deal worth around £37million, which is a fair decrease from the previous £45million price tag placed on the 22-year-old.

Photo: IMAGO

This sort of fee is in the range that we have seen Liverpool and Michael Edwards operate in the past, with Ibou Konate perhaps being the most obvious example of this with his move from RB Leipzig in 2021.

Michael Edwards’ Profile

Typically, Michael Edwards and his team look for players aged between 21-24 and with between 150-200 senior appearances to their name. Inacio fits into both of these ranges, with 171 games at the young age of 22-years-old.

This is one of the reasons that I wasn’t too bothered about losing out on Leny Yoro to Manchester United, especially with the finances involved in that deal. Just for perspective, Yoro is still only 18-years-old and has only 60 senior appearances to his name.

Another key factor behind most of Liverpool’s signings under Michael Edwards has been the importance of versatility. When it comes to defenders on the current market, very few offer that trait to the level that Inacio can. Although naturally a central defender, Inacio is more than capable of being deployed as a left-back and has also featured as a defensive midfielder, but this one would be a huge stretch in the Premier League.

In my opinion, Inacio could prove to be an incredibly smart purchase for Liverpool at just £37million. You would certainly struggle to find a deal like that for a talented, versatile, left-footed defender with multiple years of high-level domestic and European experience.