Liverpool need to move fast if the prestigious Premier League outfit is to reassemble the squad to the desired level before the transfer window closes in several weeks, and bolstering the backline is surely paramount.
Who are Liverpool going to sign?
Reds sporting director Jorg Schmadtke whirred into action swiftly on Merseyside this summer, completing deals for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominick Szoboszlai to combat the mass midfield departures at Anfield.
And while more work is to be done in the centre, the defence needs a fresh face and, as such, Sporting Lisbon centre-half Goncalo Inacio has been linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool this summer.
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And now, according to The Athletic, Liverpool have been 'looking at' the Portuguese titan, who is said to have a €45m (£40m) release clause in his contract.
How good is Goncalo Inacio?
Liverpool's pathway back to success is a little convoluted, but signing Inacio from Sporting Lisbon could be the game-changing acquisition to restore the Reds' trophy-winning credentials.
After falling by the wayside last season and missing out on Champions League football for the first time in seven seasons, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were released upon the expiry of their contracts, while Jordan Henderson and Fabinho compounded the problem by completing transfers to Saudi Arabian sides.
In theory, this could be the solution to the club's quandary, especially after the crux of Liverpool's remarkable breakdown last season was the midfield's inability to protect the backline and control the flow of games, powerlessness to dictate the sequences in a manner that was so intrinsic to Klopp's system until the rust started spreading last year.
To rectify this, a tactical tweak saw the system shift to move the floundering Trent Alexander-Arnold away from the right-back position – where he was exposed far too often and even branded a "training dummy" by journalist Casey Evans after being dismantled by Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. in the Champions League – and move him into midfield in possession in a sort of double-six, enhancing his incredible ball-playing skills.
While this worked impressively – the change kickstarting a superb run of form that saw seven successive league victories, before two draws to close out the season – left-back Andy Robertson has been left in the mud, struggling to perform in a new role – having seen a drop in performances during the latter phase of the term -moving him into a back-three, but with Inacio added to the ranks, such concerns could be swiftly dispelled.
The 21-year-old has made 122 appearances for the Leões, scoring 11 goals and supplying eight assists, and is considered to be perfect for Klopp's system by BBC Sports' Raj Chohan.
He said on Twitter:
"Gonçalo Inácio is the perfect counter-weight to Konaté. Inacio-VVD-Konaté: Build-up conductor. Leader/aerial dominator/switches of play. Immense recovery speed & coverage of space."
Also dubbed the "complete" centre-back by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Inacio ranks among the top 6% of central defenders across Men's 'Next Eight' divisions for pass completion, the top 1% for assists, shot-creating action and progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
The two-cap international is also left-footed, meaning that he could slot into the Liverpool set-up like a tailor-made glove, providing the ball-playing ability to complement the high-octane, intense approach and allowing Alexander-Arnold to thrive in his new role.
What it would mean is Robertson would likely lose his place to the younger, dynamic man, but with Liverpool looking to compete for silverware across four competitions this year, healthy competition would only increase the prospects of success.
He would not cost any lower than the £40m fee touted, and if Liverpool do have the means to complete a deal this month, they simply have to throw the kitchen sink at Sporting Lisbon to convince one of the most precocious defensive talents of the current age to move to Anfield and don the famous Red jersey.