Liverpool revive ‘interest’ in £50m defender amid Virgil Van Dijk future claims
Liverpool FC transfer news: The Portuguese defender has a release clause that could be triggered.
One target who has emerged for Liverpool is Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio less than a week after Virgil van Dijk’s claims regarding his future.
Following the Netherlands’ late exit to England at Euro 2024, Van Dijk was clearly heavily affected by watching his team exit in such dramatic fashion. He took to social media to announce he is thinking about his future after what was a difficult evening to stomach.
He said, as per Reuters: “I haven’t the slightest idea right now. I will think carefully this summer about what I want at club level and as an international player. Then we’ll go for it again, but first recover from this. After a season like this, where all kinds of things have happened, it gets emotional at the end because you know it’s over.”
There is a sense of urgency to get Van Dijk’s new deal sorted but, based off those comments, it isn’t a 100% certainty. Plus, Joel Matip’s exit has opened the door for another centre-back to arrive and while Sepp van den Berg has been impressing in pre-season, PSV Eindhoven are looking to offer him a starting place and losing him could trigger their interest in Sporting’s Inacio.
Not only is he a composed, modern, ball-playing centre-back with great potential, he has a release clause of £50m. According to OJogo in Portugal, Liverpool have been working on a transfer for Inacio after Arne Slot asked for another defender in his squad.
The 22-year-old managed 49 appearances across all competitions under Ruben Amorim. He was a key figure in their back three system and managed to score three times in the Europa League as they were edged out by winners Atalanta in the Round of 16. One strike against Inacio is that he has limited experience at the elite level in terms of the Champions League as well as at major competitions for Portugal. His one start in the Euros was against Georgia, in the shock group stage defeat and it’s unclear whether he would be signed to be a starter ahead of both Jarell Quansah and Ibrahim Konate.