Liverpool set to make offer for €110m pair as Jurgen Klopp eyes double deal
Liverpool are ready to make offers for Sporting Lisbon duo Goncalo Inacio and Manuel Ugarte ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Reds are ending the season in fine form after a disappointing campaign with Jurgen Klopp’s men closing in on the top four after six Premier League wins on the bounce.
Liverpool are now just one point adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United – who have a game in hand on the Reds – and Klopp will be hoping they can get Champions League qualification to aid their summer spending.
Many of their problems this sseason have been put down to their midfield and improving that area of the team has become a priority for Klopp this summer, as well as finding a new centre-back.
And Liverpool are reportedly looking at Sporting Lisbon in particular for inspiration with reports claiming they have interest in midfielder Ugarte and defender Inacio.
Portuguese newspaper Record claims Liverpool are ready to make an offer for Ugarte with the highly-rated Uruguay international featuring towards the top of their midfield shortlist.
Ugarte is understood to have been on Klopp’s radar for some time with Liverpool now deciding that they will soon make their first concrete offer.
Despite a mention of his €60m release clause, the report doesn’t specify at what amount Liverpool will start the bidding process.
While Spanish publication Fichajes insists that Liverpool ‘also thinks about the signing’ of Inacio as the centre-back continues to ‘accumulate suitors’.
And the Merseysiders ‘would be willing to make an offer close to’ €50m with Inacio emerging as ‘one of the most promising defenders in European football’.
The 21-year-old is ‘an interesting option’ for Liverpool as he can play at both centre-back and right-back with Klopp eyeing ‘a major restructuring’ of his squad.
Fichajes add that Liverpool are ready to ‘bid on sight’ but they are ‘not the only team interested’ in Inacio with Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United both named as potential destinations.
Liverpool have been linked with a move for former forward Sadio Mane – who is likely to leave Bayern Munich this summer – but ex-Reds star John Barnes has urged the club to move on from the Senegal international.
Barnes told MyBettingSites: “We have to prioritise midfield. There’s no point going back to Mane when we have so many attacking players.
“I love Sadio and he’s one of my favourite players but when we have Salah, Jota, Nunez, Gakpo and Diaz we have to prioritise midfield next season.”
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