"They have to pay": New report now claims Liverpool must pay €60m to complete signing

Liverpool have been paying a lot of attention to Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio over the last few months.

Jurgen Klopp is aware that his defence is ageing just as his midfield was before he overhauled the engine room, signing four new players to reinvent his side.

Liverpool 2.0 is expected to undergo further turbulence and reinvention with Mohamed Salah widely linked with an exit in the next two years.

At the back, Joel Matip is set to leave the club at the end of the season after spending seven years at Anfield with his contract set to expire on 30 June 2024.

The most regularly linked with replacing the Cameroonian has undoubtedly been Goncalo Inacio.

A report from Portugal this week claimed that Liverpool could sign the centre-back if they were to pay 75% of his £52 million release clause up front with the rest to be paid in bonuses throughout his potential term with the Reds.

However, this rumour has been put to bed by another Portuguese outlet.

O Jogo, via fellow Liverpool fan-site Paisley Gates, now claim that Sporting Lisbon if his full €60 million (£52.3m) release clause is paid in full.

Os Leões head coach Ruben Amorin commented: “It’s as always, they have to pay the release clause to leave.”

Inacio would be a fantastic addition to the Liverpool back line although whether he would start ahead of Ibrahima Konate is unclear.

Virgil van Dijk is 32 now but the Dutchman is in top form and not likely to be displaced from his role anytime soon. He was also made club captain in the summer with Liverpool seeing the long-term value he can still provide at Anfield.