Report: Liverpool offered huge £37m transfer opportunity to sign ‘talented’ defender

Frustration has started to build over the past week as Liverpool remain one of only two Premier League clubs yet to sign a first-team player this summer, along with Fulham. Despite this, the rumours remain as strong as ever, with Takefusa Kubo and Ederson linked with a move to Anfield in recent days.

But a more familiar name has also been making headlines in recent days: Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio, once again linked with a move to Liverpool. The 22-year-old had been tipped to join Merseyside for a few windows, but the young defender is ultimately expected to leave the Portuguese side this summer.

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

For those unfamiliar with Inacio, he is a 22-year-old left-footed defender who has quickly become one of the most highly rated defenders in Europe at the moment. Since his time at Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy, he has become a regular fixture in the first team, making 171 first-team appearances for the Portuguese champions.

His impressive club form has also earned him 11 caps for the Portugal national team, including two at EURO 2024. As well as gaining international experience, he has also been thrust onto the radar of several top European clubs, with Liverpool and Manchester United the two most frequently mentioned.

The term ‘opportunist’ has been bandied about a lot in Liverpool’s plans for this transfer window and Goncalo Inacio certainly fits the bill. Reports from Portugal claim that Sporting are willing to negotiate a deal worth around £37m, which is a considerable drop from the previous £45m price tag set for the 22-year-old.

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

Typically, Michael Edwards and his team look for players between the ages of 21 and 24 with between 150 and 200 caps for the national team. Inacio fits both categories, with 171 games at the age of 22.

This is one of the reasons why I wasn’t too bothered by Leny Yoro’s departure from Manchester United, especially given the financial stakes involved in the move. To put it in perspective, Yoro is only 18 and has only 60 international caps to his name.

Another key factor behind most of Liverpool’s signings under Michael Edwards is the importance of versatility. When it comes to defenders in the current market, very few offer that quality to the level of Inacio. While he is naturally a centre-back, Inacio is more than capable of being deployed as a left-back and has also played as a defensive midfielder, but this one would be a huge achievement in the Premier League.

In my opinion, Inacio could prove to be an incredibly smart purchase for Liverpool for just £37m. It would certainly be difficult to find a deal like that for a talented and versatile left-footed defender with several years of top-flight experience at both domestic and European level.