Liverpool 'stance' on £51m star as attacker speaks out on transfer links

Liverpool were linked with a potential double raid for Sporting Lisbon talents Goncalo Inacio and Victor Gyokeres this summer, although formal offers were never tabled. The pair’s price tags could well have proved too much for the Reds, who had a shrewd window.

Sporting director Richard Hughes had christened the market as “opportunistic” for Liverpool, with the club waiting until the final week to do business for this season. Federico Chiesa proved to be the only addition to the 2024-25 squad following a £12.5million move from Juventus.

Meanwhile, a £29m transaction for Giorgi Mamardashvili will see the Georgian goalkeeper move to Anfield in 2025.

READ MORE: John Terry powerless and Chelsea crestfallen as Liverpool plan for Rio Ngumoha comes together

READ MORE: Jamie Carragher's Mohamed Salah theory might be proven right but Steven Gerrard is the right answer

Meanwhile, there are questions over several current players whose deals expire next summer.

Following two assists and a goal against Manchester United on Sunday, Mohamed Salah publicly shared that Liverpool had not approached him regarding a renewal. The ECHO understands that the winger is keen to sign a new deal. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are also in the final year of their respective deals.

Van Dijk dropped several ambiguous quotes about his future over the summer but has stayed on as expected. However, some fans fear a lack of future-proofing at centre-back for when the 33-year-old does eventually move on, whenever that might be.

Inacio, 23, was one of the names touted as a potential understudy to Van Dijk amid the summer transfer links. Caught Offside is the latest outlet to suggest that Liverpool were put off by the player’s £51m price tag, and thus did not make an approach albeit the club are still admirers of him.

Meanwhile, weaker links had been made with team-mate and Swedish striker Gyokeres, who recorded 43 goals and 15 assists in 50 club games last season. He has already bagged seven goals in five Sporting fixtures this term.

Arsenal were more closely linked with Gyokeres but the attacker has ended up staying in Portugal. Explaining why Premier League clubs might have been put off his transfer, the 26-year-old told Sport Bladet: “They (Sporting) wanted most of the starting players to stay and held us tight.

“That’s how it turned out, but I enjoy Sporting very much, so for me it was no problem to stay. Of course you want to play at the highest level. It (release clause) was probably a bit too much because nothing came of it.

“Of course, it’s a lot of money. But we’ll see what happens next window… I enjoy myself very much in Sporting and can’t complain about anything, so it’s absolutely no problem for me to stay. Of course, you aim to test other leagues and a higher level, but I have no stress.”