Liverpool should move for £52m defender in January; almost no summer discount – opinion

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Beier, Liverpool
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Detailed view of a Liverpool badge on a corner flag inside of the stadium ahead of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on January 17, 2021 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around England remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

There may be little point in Liverpool holding off on their pursuit of Goncalo Inacio until the summer given the price difference compared to January is likely to be minimal.

This comes courtesy of A Bola (via Sport Witness), with the publication noting that Sporting would still wish to negotiate for something close to the defender’s €60m (£52.2m) release clause at the end of the season.

The Merseysiders are understood to still be keen on landing a new centre-back at the next available opportunity, though it’s possible Jurgen Klopp’s men could wait for the ideal moment to strike in the summer to focus first on signing a new holding midfielder.

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The emergence of steady-Eddie Jarell Quansah will certainly have helped allay fears over the level of depth present in the backline.

Still, the spectre of the 2020/21 season still looms relatively large over a side that embarked on a spectacularly poor title defence – owing in no small part to a swathe of injuries suffered in the defence that term.

We could yet gamble on circumstances remaining consistent throughout the campaign, though there’s certainly a case for the club taking precautions against recent history repeating itself.

Certainly, if finances align and there is indeed no advantage to holding off until the summer, it’s worth some exploration on our part!

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