Liverpool could reportedly now be forced into moving for Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio after last night’s bombshell news on Joel Matip.
The Cameroonian centre-back is set to miss months of action after picking up a knee ligament injury on Sunday according to reports, leaving Liverpool short in central defender.
And according to journalist Dean Jones, Liverpool could now feel like they’ll be forced to act in January with a new signing, specifically, Inacio from Sporting.
The Portuguese international has been linked with Liverpool for some time, and the Reds could make a move for Inacio, who is believed to have a release clause worth £52m.
Jones said: “This Matip injury is probably going to bring new expectations from the Liverpool fanbase that perhaps they go into the market to try and sign a centre-back. It’s not going to be easy to go and do that at the very top level.
“The name that’s probably hanging around most since the back of last summer is Goncalo Inacio at Sporting who Liverpool have had on their radar for a while and so have Man United.
“He’s not cheap. The age that he’s at, the profile of him, the league he’s coming from all make sense in terms of how Liverpool would want to step up their build. It’s just can they do it in January?
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“I hadn’t really been expectant of it, but now there’s this injury to Matip, it does make me wonder if they’re brave enough to go and do this.”
Goncalo Inacio could be perfect to replace Joel Matip at Liverpool
Liverpool will be smart to move for a top defender in the January window with news now breaking that Matip could be out for some months.
And whilst Inacio would be an expensive signing, the Portuguese defender has shown that he has the potential to go straight to the top once he makes the move away from Sporting.
And Liverpool could be the ideal club for Inacio, with the Reds already in need of a long-term centre-back that could one day partner Ibrahima Konate.