Credit where credit’s due, Jorg Schmadtke appeared integral in ensuring Liverpool completed their remaining summer business virtually hassle-free.
Dominik Szoboszlai was snapped up via a release clause, whilst Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch were secured with relatively uncomplicated fees.
Now the Merseysiders have a chance to steal a march on the competition and sign a reportedly top target in Goncalo Inacio – whom CaughtOffside claim is ‘working his way firmly up to the top of Klopp’s list’ for the centre-back position – via the aid of a release clause.
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Just how much for Inacio?
A €60m (£51.6m) release clause to be precise – hardly what you’d term a dealbreaker for a potentially elite centre-half.
The question remains as to whether our recruitment team deem him as such.
We’ve raised concerns around the Portuguese star’s aerial ability previously, though, in the interest of fairness, it’s worth highlighting his more appetising traits.
Reliability on the ball (89th percentile for pass completion) and progressing play (99th and 97th percentiles for progressive passes and progressive carries respectively) are mightily impressive.
Inacio is also quite clearly heavily involved in Sporting’s build-up and creative play, registering in the 96th percentile for what FBref call ‘shot-creating actions’.
There’s most definitely a player in there, it just depends on how much of a dealbreaker his poor aerial ability is.
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