Liverpool ‘lead race’ to sign £42m-rated defender as striker contract talks ‘stall’

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield. The Reds have beaten Everton 2-0 and Toulouse 5-1 since returning to action from the most recent international break.

They sit six points behind Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglou’s side kicked off the latest round of Premier League action with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Arsenal and Manchester City are just one point ahead of the Reds with the Gunners taking on Sheffield United this weekend while City face Manchester United.

Ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Forest, we have rounded up the latest transfer news surrounding Jurgen Klopp’s side as the January transfer window comes into view.

Reds ‘on alert’ after Osimhen Napoli stand-off

Liverpool and Premier League rivals Chelsea are said to be ‘on alert’ after contract talks between Victor Osimhen and Napoli stalled. That is per a report from Calcio Mercato in Italy, with the two parties said to be at a stand-off over wage demands.

Osimhen, whose contract with the club expires in 2025, is said to want his wages doubled from £3.9m per year to £7.8m. The Napoli star scored 31 goals in 39 games last season as the Italian club clinched the Serie A title. He already has six goals in eight league games this term. The report adds there is a disagreement over the proposed release clause, with Napoli keen to set it at around £175m, while Osimhen would prefer it to be much lower.

Addressing the contract talks, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis recently said: “I have never not been calm when it comes to Osimhen, but it takes two to tango. I remain the same, if his mood has changed, then there’s not much I can do about that. If after a handshake things change, that is disappointing, we take it into account, but life goes on. We have a good rapport with him, the contract runs to 2025, so there is time.”

Liverpool ‘favourites’ to sign Inacio

Liverpool are considered the favourites to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio, per a report from German outlet Bild. The 22-year-old is reportedly Jurgen Klopp’s preferred choice for a new centre-back with Joel Matip currently set to come to the end of his contract in 2024.

Inacio has been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Newcastle United. Central defence is an area Liverpool will likely address in the coming transfer windows if Matip does not sign a new deal. Inacio is contracted at Sporting until 2027 but is said to have a release clause of €49m (£42m) in his contract.

Liverpool have Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Matip, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah as their current centre-back options. Speaking about his situation in the heart of defence, Klopp said at the end of August: “I have no doubt about the quality of the boys we have, we have Jarell Quansah, a super-talented player as well. In this moment, we are covered but it’s not dreamland where you can be prepared for absolutely each situation.”

An injury before the January window could spark Liverpool’s business to life, or it is more likely the Reds will wait until the summer before considering how to bolster their centre-back options.