Examining what Liverpool should do next in the transfer market – and the young defender who could be just what they need.
Alexis MacAllister has arrived, and a couple more midfielders appear to be on the way – most certainly, Khéphren Thuram, but perhaps Ryan Gravenberch, Franck Kessié, Manu Koné, or Moisés Caicedo, depending on who you believe. The much-needed rebuilding of Liverpool’s midfield is well underway, and Jürgen Klopp appears to be getting some of his side’s crucial tactics ironed out early as the Reds attempt to put a bad season behind them.
This is all well and good – fresh talent gradually replacing old hands is how this task should be done, and Liverpool’s failure to reach the 2023/34 Champions League should be blamed in part on their current team’s failure to get the process started quickly enough. Now that Naby Keita and James Milner have left, new competition for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson has arrived. However, while the middle may have been the location where the degradation was most visible, it cannot be the beginning and end of the update. The defense must also be addressed.
Liverpool conceded 47 Premier League goals this season, up from 26 the previous season. Virgil van Dijk is clearly not the player he once was, Joe Gomez hasn’t progressed as much as planned, Jol Matip is as likely to be magnificent as he is horrible, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, for all he provides in attack, has always been a liability at the back. Besides, he might be a better midfielder today.
If defensive reinforcements are not brought in, many of the same issues that plagued Liverpool last season will just resurface. They’ve been associated with a couple defenders, but nothing concrete has emerged – Kim-Min Jae has been discussed but appears more likely to join Manchester United, the talented Marc Guéhi’s name has been spoken, and Torino defender Perr Schuurs has been touted. However, we believe Sporting Lisbon’s Gonçalo Inácio, who has been projected to make the trip to Merseyside, is the greatest bet of the bunch.
The name may send shivers down the spines of any Arsenal fans reading it – Inácio‘s header leveled the scores in Lisbon on the night Mikel Arteta’s men were knocked out of the Europa League. A week later, the Portuguese centre-half, who will be 22 before the start of the next season, got his maiden senior international cap against Liechtenstein in a European Championship Qualifier. Last summer, he was linked to Manchester United, and his stock has only risen since then.
Despite his youth, he has already made 125 games for Sporting, either centrally or on the right side of a back three, and he appears to be ready to take the next step in his career. The first thing that stands out when watching him play are his ball abilities – he’s exceptionally confident with the ball at his feet, especially by modern centre-back standards. His passing range is outstanding – he averages just under 90% completion despite playing around 90 passes per game, more than virtually anybody else in Europe – and his dribbling is possibly even better.
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