Liverpool handed boost as club accept they will lose Jurgen Klopp's target soon - Reports

Liverpool are reportedly looking to make an offer for Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, who has been the club's top transfer target in the last few months.

According to a report by Portuguese outlet A Bola, Sporting are ready to sell the young defender as they think that Inacio will be leaving them soon. As a result, Liverpool have again joined the race for the 22-year-old defender.

The Merseyside club is expected to bring Inacio as a replacement for left-back Kostas Tsimikas, who suffered an injury against Arsenal. However, as revealed in the same report, Mikel Arteta's side are currently the frontrunners in the transfer battle.

Nevertheless, the Reds can achieve success in landing the Sporting defender at Anfield if they try getting into advanced talks. Arteta already has a young defensive duo of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

On the other side, Goncalo Inacio can potentially pair up with Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk at Anfield as Joel Matip's contract is set to expire next summer. Moreover, the 22-year-old can play as a left-back. His release clause is expected to be around £52 million.

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Virgil van Dijk lauded Liverpool defender for consistent performances

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has backed defender Ibrahim Konate by claiming that he has everything that is required to become a top football player. The Dutch defender said that the Frenchman is still learning and he can become better in the future.

Van Dijk also mentioned Jarell Quansah, who has drawn the attention of the fans with consistent performances. The Reds skipper said that he's sharing his experience with the players as he's optimistic about their future at Anfield. He said (via the official website of Liverpool):

"He’s still growing. He’s an outstanding defender. He has everything that a modern-day footballer needs to be at the absolute top of centre-backs. There’s a lot of demands from us."

He added:

“He is learning. I speak a lot with him about certain things because it’s my duty to share experiences with him. He’s still learning and he can be even better than he is. Same goes with Jarell Quansah.

Ibrahim Konate joined the Premier League side from RB Leipzig in 2022 for a reported transfer fee of £36 million. Since then, he has made 72 appearances for the Reds, also scoring three goals.

He has made 19 appearances across competitions this season for Jurgen Klopp's side, where he has managed to keep six clean sheets.