Liverpool have set their sights on signing an exciting young centre-back in January, but they aren't the only club who are looking to secure his services in the Premier League.

Who are Liverpool's defenders?

At Anfield, Jurgen Klopp has Virgil Van Dijk, who is the new captain of the club, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah as his current options at centre-back, but it’s obvious that the boss needs to dip into the market for further reinforcements.

The Reds skipper and Matip are both 32 years of age so aren’t getting any younger and will soon have to be replaced, whilst Gomez hasn’t recently lived up to the standards required of him, leaving the latter two as the only long-term choices with Gomez seemingly now preferred as a right-back.

Therefore, FSG will be assessing their options in the market having failed to secure a defender over the summer and it appears that they have highlighted Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio as an ideal target to pursue in the transfer window at the start of next year.

Premier League rivals Manchester United have also added the Portugal international to their shortlist of centre-back options so it won’t come easy to secure his services, but the following update confirms that FSG chiefs have held an interest in the 22-year-old for a long time.

Goncalo Inacio transfer update

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano revealed in a Goncalo Inacio transfer update that Liverpool and Newcastle United are the two clubs that also admire the colossus alongside the hierarchy at Old Trafford. He said:

“Inacio has also been on the list at Liverpool and Newcastle in recent years, while Sporting also extended his contract during the summer. He’s a very talented player, so let’s see how his situation evolves in the months ahead.”

How tall is Goncalo Inacio?

Standing at 6 foot 1, Inacio is a real rock at the heart of the backline at Sporting CP, where he’s been averaging 2.4 clearances and 1.6 aerial wins per league game so far this season (WhoScored – Inacio statistics), but he’s also capable of making an impact in the final third.

The Almada native, who is naturally left-footed, has posted 19 contributions, 11 goals and eight assists, in 132 appearances during his time with Ruben Amorim’s side (Transfermarkt – Inacio statistics), with his ability to pose a threat when it comes to set pieces seeing him labelled a “complete” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Passing

Likes to dribble

Concentration

Likes to play short passes (Data via WhoScored)

Inacio, who pockets £28k-per-week (Sporting CP salaries), knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured four trophies since joining his homeland outfit, so he would therefore be able to match the winning mentality of the squad already on Merseyside and be able to easily adapt to the manager's required demands at Liverpool.