After years of intense competition on the field, it looks that Liverpool and Real Madrid will engage in a significant transfer war to get a defender with a price tag of £52 million.
The Reds, coached by Jurgen Klopp, have returned to anything like their best defensive form despite having conceded nine goals in the Premier League up to this point.
Real Madrid has shown even greater restraint by conceding only six goals over the first nine games of the 2023–24 season in which they have competed in La Liga.
Given this information, it begs the issue of why either would be looking for further defensive support given the fact that it is patently evident that both are now in possession of sufficient resources.
However, it does not take into account players who have been suspended or injured, therefore it is impossible for a team to have an excessive amount of strong defenders.
According to Defensa Central (via Sky Sports), the two best teams in Spain and England are competing for the services of Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio, a 22-year-old center back for the Portuguese club. Inacio now plays for Sporting.
However, in the current market, signing a top-notch center back for less than £80 million must be considered a longer-term value. His release clause is set at €60 million, which is equivalent to approximately £51.8 million. He will not come cheap.
Both teams have plenty of time to continue their scouting of Inacio before the winter window opens for business, which won’t happen for another three months. On January 1, Messrs. Klopp and Ancelotti will need to perform at their absolute best if the rumors concerning the player turn out to be true.