Scout report: Gonçalo Inácio - Could he be Van Dijk’s Long Term Replacement?

Written on 31/12/2023

Liverpool are among the many clubs linked with a move for Sporting CP defender Gonçalo Inácio. Reports have handed out the information that the Portuguese defender would be available for a move if a club is ready to pay his release clause, which is thought to be around £51m. 

This is not the first time Inácio’s name has been linked with Liverpool. We heard a similar rumour in the summer as well when the Reds were busy in reshaping the midfield with wholesale changes.

The 22-year-old is a versatile left-footed defender who can play as a centre-back (in a two or three-man central defence) or as a left-back. After spending the entirety of the summer window on bolstering/decreasing the average age of midfield, it is probably the right time for Liverpool to strengthen the back line as we enter the second half of this interesting season.

Keeping that in mind, let’s have a detailed look at Inácio, his profile, numbers and what would he bring to Anfield if the Reds manage to snap him up.

Player Profile - Gonçalo Inácio

It was in 2012 when Inácio moved from Almada Formação to the Sporting youth setup to start his development as a football player. He was 11 years old then. Eight years later, in 2020, the defender made his senior debut for the club and has been a regular presence in the side since. 

To think that at a tender age of 22 (tender for a defender), he has already played 145 senior games for the club (11,276 minutes). While it is testament to how good his development has been, the availability side of things from the fitness viewpoint has been top notch as well. 

As touched upon earlier, Inácio is a left-footed defender who can operate in multiple positions across the left-hand side of the defence. In the current season, he is predominantly used as a left-sided centre-back in a three-man central defence. He has played as a left-back on a few occasions too.

The heat map above represents the areas of the field the 22-year-old has operated in this season. Being a wide centre-back in a three-man central defence, the freedom is there to progress with the ball or push high up to make key interceptions or ball recoveries in the opposition half. There is comfort in defending in wide areas and dealing with the threat of wingers in one-on-one situations. 

The touch map against FC Porto is on expected lines. Since Inácio has good recovery pace, he can push up high and make the recovery runs when required. He is comfortable on the ball, something we will look at with the help of data visuals below.

Portuguese Primeira Liga Defenders - 2023/24 Season, ft. G. Inácio 

This section contains data visuals consisting of defenders from the Portuguese league covering a range of metrics key to a defender. The focus will naturally be on where Inácio is in all these visuals.

When it comes to combining high pass accuracy with a hefty volume of progressive passes, there isn’t a defender better than Inácio in Portugal. Just goes to show the ease in which he is on the ball. He very rarely miscontrols a pass or loses possession of it.