Exclusive: Liverpool have 'concrete' interest in defender, £40m will seal deal

Liverpool will target a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk this summer, with Goncalo Inacio firmly on their radar.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the Reds will target a younger, left-sided centre-back who can develop under Arne Slot.

Inacio, 22, is one name under consideration at Anfield, with the club’s interest believed to be “concrete”, and he has also attracted interest from Manchester United after his performances for Sporting CP.

Football Insider revealed in April that Inacio could leave Sporting for £40million this summer amid interest from Liverpool, with the Portuguese outfit resigned to losing their star player.

Liverpool want to sign Goncalo Inacio after £40m reveal

Inacio made 49 appearances for Sporting last season as he helped lead the team to their first league title victory since 2021, while reaching the last 16 of the Europa League where they lost to the eventual winners.

Having come through the club’s academy, he has now made 171 appearances aged just 22, with a wealth of experience to his name.

Inacio has also been capped seven times for his country and has been named in their provisional squad ahead of the European Championships in Germany.

Left-sided centre-backs tend to be a rarity and come at a premium in the modern days, with the £40million price tag seen as achievable by the transfer chiefs at Anfield.

Liverpool have begun succession planning for Van Dijk, with the centre-back now 32 years old, with Inacio seen as the ideal replacement.

Slot will look to mould this Liverpool squad into his own over the summer, with a new-look recruitment team set to assist him in the process of signing new players.

In other news, Liverpool will face a huge problem if Man City win their fight against the Premier League.

For more Liverpool and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.

The post Exclusive: Liverpool have 'concrete' interest in defender, £40m will seal deal appeared first on Football Insider.