Liverpool will be keeping one eye trained on league rivals Manchester United to see whether they might act on their interest in Goncalo Inacio.
The Reds are also understood to be keeping an eye on the Portuguese star ahead of the opening of the January window.
Dean Jones now suggests that the Merseysiders could be tempted into action themselves following an injury to Joel Matip.
“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,” the reporter spoke on the Ranks FC Podcast (via The Boot Room).
“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?
“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.”
The Cameroonian is now expected to be out of action for several months. It leaves Jurgen Klopp’s men with Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate for options in the heart of defence.
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Liverpool should act now if need be
It wouldn’t be the first time that Liverpool were spurred into action by a rival’s movement in the market.
Fans have Tottenham to thank for inspiring the club to push ahead a window earlier for Luis Diaz, signing the Colombian in January.
Whilst some may be tempted to point to the relative wealth of options at centre-back, it would be such a shame to lose out on a potential top target in Inacio who might be a better fit at Anfield.
Even with a release clause of £51.4m (Sporting’s website), we could be snapping up a bargain of a 22-year-old who could serve the backline for at least the next decade.