Richard Hughes has seen enough: Centre-back WILL arrive in January

Liverpool could well undergo a centre-back shakeup as soon as the January transfer window.

This season hasn’t gone to plan for Arne Slot and Richard Hughes despite a summer overhaul. The Premier League champions spent £450m improving the squad but are currently languishing in 12th place.

Big-money signings like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are yet to pay off - and the squad looks unbalanced. One of the areas most in need of attention is the centre of defence.

Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni for £26m from Parma over the summer but the 18-year-old was injured on debut. Combine the Italian’s ACL problem with a failure to land Marc Guehi and you can see why the Reds have got a shortage in the position.

Liverpool sanction January centre-back deal

Over the next couple of seasons we could see key names depart - with Ibrahima Konate out of contract in 2026 and Virgil van Dijk as well as Joe Gomez due to leave Anfield in 2027.

Accordingly several centre-back names have been floated as potential arrivals - not least Marc Guehi.

But if the Merseysiders cannot land the Crystal Palace captain - either for a fee in January or on a free transfer in summer - then more names will come into focus.

Among the targets being looked at right now is Goncalo Inacio - according to multiple reports.

Goncalo Inacio is on the Liverpool list

The Sporting CP stopper, 24, is capable of playing as a left-sided centre-back in either a back three or a back four and that adaptability is bound to appeal to Slot and Hughes.

Having played over 200 matches for the Lisbon side - and winning three titles - Inacio is now ready for the next step in his career. He is also a full Portugal international - winning the UEFA Nations League title under Roberto Martinez last summer.

A report in Caught Offside is now claiming that Liverpool are ready to sanction a move for a central defender in January with Inacio on the shortlist.

Liverpool face competition for Inacio

He is under contract until 2027 and therefore could be available for a decent price.

And another report from Ekrem Konur confirms Liverpool’s interest - stating that a January bid is being looked at.

But Liverpool will also need to pay attention to rival interest from Manchester United as well as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Furthermore there are plans at Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr to capture Inacio.

Right now it’s clear Liverpool need to improve their build-up and their defending. Inacio is a player who could help with both.

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