**Liverpool are still reportedly eyeing Sporting CP and Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio as a replacement for Ibrahima Konate this summer.**
The departure of Konate to Real Madrid is a setback for the Reds, even though the Frenchman dipped well below his best level during the 2025/26 season, not helped by the passing of Diogo Jota and his father.
He was an experienced head who has shone alongside Virgil van Dijk so often over the past five years, and now a new signing will be needed, with the incoming Jeremy Jacquet a young player who needs to be eased in.
Inacio has been linked with a move to Liverpool plenty of times down the years, and now a new update has emerged regarding their pursuit of the [£52m-rated](https://www.teamtalk.com/liverpool/reds-open-bidding-cheeky-proposal-52m-rated-arsenal-centre-back-target) defender.
According to [_Caught Offside_](https://www.caughtoffside.com/2026/06/08/liverpool-andoni-iraola-shortlist-konates-replacement/), the Portuguese is “one of the names still strongly linked” with the Reds ahead of the summer transfer window.
The update adds that “from a football point of view, it is easy to see the appeal” of Inacio as a player, not least if new head coach Andoni Iraola “wants his team to build quickly from the back and play with aggression.”
**Is Goncalo Inacio an ideal summer option for Liverpool?**
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As mentioned, Inacio is a long-time Liverpool target, and it is easy to see why, with the 24-year-old such a talented and influential central defender.
He is expected to start alongside Ruben Dias for Portugal at the 2026 World Cup, and has a good chance of going all the way in the competition.
Inacio is a left-footed centre-back, which would admittedly mean Van Dijk having to shift across to the right-hand side, but the Liverpool captain should be able to do that without too much hassle.
The Sporting ace’s quality on the ball could be a big asset for the Reds, and he is also capable of doing a job at left-back, which would only improve the squad depth at Iraola’s disposal.
Inacio has the ability and leadership to be a superb long-term signing for Liverpool at a time when not only a Konate replacement needs to be found, but also an eventual Van Dijk successor.