Liverpool's top transfer target for the 2023/24 summer transfer window is a £52m star, with the Reds hoping to seal a deal in the coming weeks.
Liverpool transfer rumours
Liverpool's new era begins this summer with Jurgen Klopp having been replaced in the Anfield dugout by Arne Slot. The Reds ended 2023/24 as League Cup winners, but their Premier League form at the back end of the campaign saw their title hopes fade away, with Manchester City and Arsenal the two most dominant sides in the division for a second successive season.
Liverpool enquire for "fantastic" player who Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign
Contact has reportedly been made with a rival Premier League team.
ByHenry JacksonJun 15, 2024
Slot is now expected to have a busy summer on his hands as he looks to strengthen the Reds and put his own stamp on a squad that has been moulded in Klopp's vision for the last nine years. Liverpool have been credited with an active interest in Lille defender Leny Yoro, while links surrounding Benfica and Portugal midfield ace Joao Neves are also refusing to go away.
Elsewhere, recent reports have suggested that Newcastle United’s Yankuba Minteh, who spent last season on loan at Slot's Feyenoord, is a target for Liverpool, with the Magpies potentially needing to sell to keep in line with the PSR guidelines. The Meresysiders have also received a big boost in their long-time pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopemeiners as they look to freshen up their midfield once more.
Liverpool's top summer transfer target revealed
Now, a fresh update has emerged on a defender previously linked with a move to Anfield. The player in question is Sporting CP and Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio. Liverpool's centre-back options are somewhat limited at the moment with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk both coming to the end of their time at the top of the game. The former is also out of contract at the end of June, leaving an immediate hole in the Reds' squad.
In turn, it is not surprising to see Liverpool being tipped to make a move for Inacio. CaughtOffside reports that the Premier League powerhouse have been trying to sign the centre-back since the back end of last year, and despite the change in management on Merseyside, those desires still remain. This comes with Arne Slot and co. said to have made the stopper Liverpool's main target for the 2024 summer transfer window.
The report cites inside knowledge of internal talks within Liverpool over their plans, while Inacio is thought to be ready for the challenge of a Premier League move, having decided to stay put last winter. Ahead of the previous window, reports in Spain had quoted his asking price at €60m (£51m), which was his release clause at the time.
Inacio previously received high praise from former Sporting coach José Lima, who labelled the defender as "quality".
"The psychological aspect is one of his greatest strengths, as he shows a lot of calmness in any situation, in addition to his technical skills," Lima said. "He manages to show that he is completely calm when playing and that is a great asset for him and the team. At the time, in training, he could play on the left side because his dominant foot is his left.
"Although at Sporting, he now plays on the right side, even though that is not his dominant foot. He has, therefore, evolved and has been more confident with it. As the games go by, he is an increasingly stronger player. He has always played with quality."
This past season, meanwhile, saw the £30,000-a-week star score four and assist one in 49 games across all competitions as Sporting ran out Portuguese champions.
