Liverpool and Newcastle move ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign £51m defender

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·30 January 2024

Liverpool and Newcastle move ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign £51m defender

According to a source, Liverpool and Newcastle United are the major contenders for Sporting star Goncalo Inacio and Arsenal are no longer in the running.

Over the past six months, Inacio has been frequently associated with a departure from Sporting. Real Madrid are rumored to be interested in signing him, although Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United were among the first English teams to be linked with him.

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At the start of the transfer window, Sport Witness reported on rumors from Portugal that stated Arsenal is “the best positioned club” to sign Inacio.

That being said, it’s now unclear if the Gunners are truly in the lead in the fight for Inacio. The primary teams trying to sign the Portugal defender are Liverpool and Newcastle, according to an update from the Portuguese publication Record (via Teamtalk).

The Primeira Liga team has no intention of letting Inacio leave midway through the season, therefore Liverpool and Newcastle will have to wait until the summer to reach a deal with them.

Sporting has signed Inacio to a deal that expires in June 2027, with a release clause of €60 million (£51 million). That is obviously a lot of money, but given the state of the market, it may wind up being very economical.

Although it is arguable that Liverpool will exert more pressure to get the 22-year-old, it is difficult to tell which club between Liverpool and Newcastle would prevail in the competition.

The Premier League leaders might push harder for him as the future of Virgil Van Dijk has become uncertain after the announcement of Jurgen Klopp leaving the club at the end of the season.

When asked about his future at the club, Van Dijk said: “That’s a big question. Well, I don’t know.”

Van Dijk was informed in the interview that Liverpool would soon need to decide on his long-term future because his contract ends in the summer of 2025.

“That is correct – good maths,” the Liverpool captain said.

“Listen, I don’t know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known.

“To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.

“So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can’t say now.”