Liverpool are prioritising a move for Sporting CP defender Gonçalo Inácio and Benfica midfielder Orkun Kökçü as part of a significant summer recruitment drive valued at approximately £92 million. According to reports from TeamTalk and Goal, Kökçü has expressed a strong desire to reunite with Liverpool manager Arne Slot at Anfield, while the club competes with Manchester United for Inácio's signature. The combined investment would see Liverpool trigger Inácio’s €60 million (£52.1m) release clause and negotiate a deal for Kökçü understood to be worth around £35 million-£40 million.
Reuniting Slot with Kökçü
The pursuit of Orkun Kökçü, 25, is driven by the midfielder's previous success under Slot at Feyenoord, where he captained the side to the Eredivisie title. Despite Benfica inserting a €150 million release clause when they signed him in 2023, the Portuguese club are reportedly open to bids in the £35 million range following the player’s public frustration with his role in Lisbon. Speaking to De Telegraaf, Kökçü previously labelled Slot "the best coach in the world," describing him as a father figure. His arrival would provide necessary creative depth alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, addressing a squad need for technically proficient progressors who understand Slot’s specific pressing triggers.
Inácio and the Post-Van Dijk Succession
In defence, the interest in Gonçalo Inácio, 24, stems from a long-standing requirement for a high-calibre, left-footed centre-back. AS journalist Eduardo Burgos reports that Liverpool and Manchester United are the frontrunners for the Portugal international, whose profile is viewed as the natural successor to Virgil van Dijk, who is now 34. Inácio has maintained high levels of performance during Sporting’s recent title-winning campaigns, and while his release clause is set at £52.1 million, Sporting may be open to structured negotiations. This fee represents a market-value acquisition when compared to recent premium defensive transfers, such as the £77 million Manchester City paid for Joško Gvardiol in 2023.
Negotiations are expected to intensify as the summer transfer window approaches, with Liverpool looking to secure both deals before pre-season begins.