Liverpool's summer transfer window has been… boring, for the supporters at least. While the thrill of international tournaments has captivated fans worldwide, Anfield has barely stirred in the market's winds.
Arne Slot will be perfectly acquainted with his surroundings on Merseyside at this point, though the club's new head coach has yet to welcome a single fresh face to his fold, instead working on inculcating his playing style into the squad.
Sporting director Richard Hughes has confirmed that there will be signings this summer, but that incomings will arrive later down the line, once FSG's new structure has identified the key areas in need of reinforcements.
It's quite clear that central defence is one such point of concern, with reports suggesting that Liverpool are starting to ramp up the gas ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Liverpool lining up new defender
Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool's captain and "the best centre-back of all-time" – according to Michael Owen, at least – but he's also just turned 33 and has entered the final year of his £220k-per-week contract.
As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have stepped into the lead in the race to sign Sporting Lisbon centre-back Goncalo Inacio, with the Sporting Lisbon star identified as the ideal Van Dijk successor.
Inacio, only 22, has a €60m (£50m) release clause in his contract but there is a growing sense of belief at Liverpool that that figure could be whittled down some.
Arsenal and Manchester United are also keen admirers of the Portugal international but recent goings-on behind the scenes have established the Reds as clear frontrunners.
What Goncalo Inacio would bring to Liverpool
Liverpool are long-time admirers of Inacio's dynamic defensive qualities, with Jurgen Klopp pushing for a deal last summer only for Inacio to decide his development was best served in his homeland.
Smart move. Inacio played an instrumental part in Ruben Amorim's second Liga Portugal triumph with Sporting and continued to sharpen his skills ahead of a possible transfer to the Premier League.
When collating his metrics against centre-backs plying their trade across Europe's top five leagues over the past year, it can be noted that Inacio ranks among the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 12% for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for progressive passes, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for blocks per 90, via FBref.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
He plays a very different way to Van Dijk, who is almost nonchalant in his laidback style of imperious defending, and equally so to that of Marc Guehi, who excelled for England at the Euros this summer and is also high on Liverpool's shortlist.
Indeed, reports have suggested that Liverpool hold genuine interest in the Crystal Palace centre-back, who would likely command a ballpark fee of £65m to prise away from Selhurst Park.
Matches played
6
Matches started
6
Clean sheets
2
Pass completion
94%
Touches per game
82.8
Tackles per game
0.5
Interceptions per game
0.3
Clearances per game
2.0
Ball recoveries per game
4.7
Ground duels won per game
1.8 (61%)
He played in a regressive Eagles system under Roy Hodgson last term and missed much of Robert Glasner's triumphant start to life at the helm due to injury, though was hailed as a "monster" of a defender by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi for his performances.
There's no disputing his quality or indeed the likelihood of his success at Anfield, but Slot's system is altering the club's fabric, with a greater emphasis on ball retention and calculated, though still fluid, progression.
There are few better in that regard than Inacio, who has even been described as a "sensation" for his modern-tailored skillset by talent scout Jacek Kulig and lauded for his "insane" range of passing by journalist Antonio Mango.
Guehi proved for the Three Lions that he has the technical quality and rock-solid defensive game to thrive for a top team like Liverpool, but Inacio would simply be more suitable, playing alongside the beast-like Ibrahima Konate or the colossal rising titan Jarell Quansah.
Matches played
25
32
Matches started
23
28
Clean sheets
4
13
Pass completion
87%
89%
Touches per game
61.6
84.4
Tackles per game
1.1
1.5
Interceptions per game
0.7
0.8
Clearances per game
3.5
1.9
Ball recoveries per game
4.8
4.7
Duels won per game
3.6 (60%)
4.0 (54%)
He's even left-footed, marking him as the perfect man to replace Van Dijk on the left. Guehi, of course, is adept on the left side of the central defence, with analyst Ben Mattinson even remarking that he is "one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably", but he's still naturally right-footed, and would not be able to funnel through progressive passes with the regularity or incisiveness of his Portuguese counterpart.
What's more, Guehi is not the most progressive of passers, obviously ranking poorly in that regard for Palace last term but also displaying little sign of shaking such conservativeness for his nation, ranking among the bottom 46% of defenders at the Euros for progressive passes and the bottom 18% for shot-creating actions per 90 – albeit it was his flick-on for Jude Bellingham's stunning scissor kick against Slovakia in the round of 16.
Given that Inacio would likely arrive for a cheaper fee too, it must be his signature that is prioritised in the weeks to come. Both are talented up-and-coming defenders but clinching Inacio, who is perfect for Slot's system, could be the key to lasting success.
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FSG would make a real statement of intent by sealing this signing.
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