Why Liverpool must beat Man City to their £50m defender of the future

Liverpool’s defence may have tightened up appreciably under new manager Arne Slot, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need to think about adding new blood to the back line – not least because Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are both out of contract at the end of the season, potentially leaving some huge holes to fill. There is business that has to be done in the transfer market to future-proof the work that Slot has done so far.

Even if Van Dijk stays, for instance, the 33-year-old is getting no younger and a long-term replacement will become a priority at some stage, and it’s certainly possible to make changes which bring the squad closer in line with Slot’s methods and broader tactical vision. Slot has kept the tightest ship in the league so far with his inherited back four, but he has preferred a back three in the past and may well be keen to head back in that direction in the future.

One player who has been repeatedly linked with Liverpool and who would cover both of those bases is Sporting and Portugal centre-back Gonçalo Inácio. Both in terms of style and quality, he would be a fine fit for Slot and for the club, and he’s both 10 years younger than Van Dijk and a better technical player. Large sections of the media expected the Reds to make a bid this summer, but whether it was the necessity of paying off the entirety of his €60m (£50m) release clause or simply that they chose to spend in other areas instead, it wasn’t a move that came to pass.

Now, having waited, there is a risk that they eventually miss out entirely. A new report from Caught Offside, which cites sources in the Portuguese media, claims that reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are in the mix as well now, with Sporting’s Hugo Viana set to become the Mancunian club’s new sporting director. It may well be that the story is simply inferring that Viana will want to bring some of his old charges with him from Lisbon and making assumptions, but if there is truth in then it could be a big problem for Liverpool.

There are other young centre-backs out there, of course – the article namechecks Loïc Badé from Sevilla, for instance – but not only is Inácio among the best and most promising, he also maps onto Slot’s vision for the game remarkably well.

His technique and quality with the ball at his feet are part of the reason Slot may well be keen on him. He’s an excellent and accurate passer who has a broader range and greater vision than almost any central defender in Europe. Few players have the ability to get the ball from back line to final third as quickly, precisely and intelligently as the 23-year-old.

Wherever he’s managed, Slot has looked for ways to get his side moving the ball forward quickly, looking to spring rapid counter-attacks and prevent play from getting bogged down in midfield. Only a very few sides in the Premier League this season have attempted or completed more direct passes forward than Liverpool, and they have thus far played with the fourth-highest defensive line in the division. They may not play at the absolute extremes of direct, high-pressure football, but the need for players who can play high up the pitch and get the ball to the front line quickly is clear.

Inácio further fits that profile by being highly press-resistant himself and by having excellent anticipation matched with a respectable turn of pace – in other words, the skills required to keep possession under pressure and to deal with opponents’ attempts to play the ball over the top of the high defensive line.

It doesn’t hurt that Inácio is also used to playing in both a back four and a back three. Should Slot stick with the current system at Anfield (given his predilection for a back three at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord it may well be that the nature of the squad, which has far more depth in central midfield than at centre-back, forced him to go with a 4-3-3), Inácio has done that job with his national side. Should Slot wish to move to a back three, then Inácio is an exceptional wide centre-back who can get down the field to support the wing-back and midfield in attack.

Of course, should Inácio prove to be the long-term replacement for Van Dijk, direct comparisons would be made between the two – and there would be elements of that comparison in which Inácio was found wanting. He lacks the Dutchman’s physical presence, positional sense in a crowded area or his excellence in one-on-one situations.

Inácio would not suit a team who looked to play a low block or who were content to let teams pass the ball in front of them, but that seems unlikely to apply to Slot’s Liverpool over the coming seasons. That said, he would suit Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City well too, so long as he was comfortable adapting to life in a back four full-time. There is a sense that a back three is his natural home.

If Manchester City really are in the market for him, then Liverpool need to make their pitch watertight, because they may struggle to find another centre-back who is not only young enough to play for the club for years to come but who also matches their style and system so cleanly. £50m is a lot, and it may well have been too much for the owners this summer – but they should probably not pinch the pennies if the chance to sign him arises once again.