Exclusive: Liverpool want to strengthen key position as Fabrizio Romano responds to transfer links with duo

Liverpool are interested in signing a new centre-back in the near future, according to Fabrizio Romano, who has responded to recent transfer rumours involving Piero Hincapie and Goncalo Inacio as potential targets for the Reds.

Neil Jones has told CaughtOffside about Liverpool’s interest in Bayer Leverkusen defender Hincapie, while Romano has also addressed links with Sporting Lisbon’s Inacio as he spoke to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column.

It seems no contacts have taken place so far between Liverpool and either player, or either of their clubs, even if the Merseyside giants do have some plans to strengthen in that area of their squad soon.

Liverpool fans will no doubt have some concerns about the age of their back line, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip not getting any younger, so it could be smart business to bring in a young talent like Hincapie or Inacio, both of whom look ideal for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Still, it seems nothing is happening on that front just yet, with Romano clearing up the speculation in his column today.

“Liverpool are another club looking at centre-backs but so far no contacts have taken place with Bayer Leverkusen for Piero Hincapie from what I’m told. Hincapie has been strongly linked with Liverpool and other top clubs as he’s looked like a superb young talent for some time now, and he’s also not playing as often as he might have expected, so it’s normal to see new stories about the player,” Romano said.

“Liverpool have also been one of a number of teams linked with Goncalo Inacio, but the only way to sign him is to pay his €60m release clause to Sporting and no one has approached Sporting until now. Let’s see if that changes soon, but for now there is nothing advanced for