Arsenal target and Portugal wonderkids – Centre-backs Liverpool and Man City could sign to shake-up Premier League title race
03/01/2024 15:02
The January transfer window is open and teams will use this month as a chance to bolster their squad in a bid to achieve their seasonal goal.
For Manchester City and Liverpool, the Premier League title is the aim and it’s fair to say both sides may dip into the market to bolster their respective backlines with a view to the future.
Here, WhoScored.com pick out six young centre-backs that may be of interest to the title chasing pair this month as they look to improve their defence.
Leny Yoro – Lille
It’s hard to believe that Leny Yoro only turned 18 back in November. While no stranger to first team football for Lille, Yoro is enjoying a real breakout campaign in France’s top tier and his performances for Les Dogues have not gone unnoticed.
That’s seen both City and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in the teenage centre-back. However, Lille are believed to have set a hefty £78million asking price for Yoro and that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Only PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery (92.3 per cent) has returned a better pass success rate than Yoro (90.9 per cent) of players aged 21 and under in France’s top tier this term.
His 54 clearances is the 15th most in the 2023/24 Ligue 1 campaign with the young centre-back not only capable of picking out a teammate with ease but has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on his side’s goal.
No wonder Lille rank second for possession (57.1 per cent) and joint-second for goals conceded (14) in Ligue 1.
Giorgio Scalvini – Atalanta
Another young defender shining in one of Europe’s top leagues, Giorgio Scalvini’s performances for Atalanta have certainly caught the eye this season.
Scalvini may not be as effective in possession as Yoro for Lille but makes up for it with his fine reading of the game, which certainly belies his tender years.
Scalvini has made more interceptions (34) than any other player in Serie A this season, reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘ball interception’, while 50 aerial duels won ranks fourth of defenders in Italy’s top tier as the 20-year-old maximises his 6ft4in frame.
A 95.1 per cent pass success rate in Euro 2024 qualifying also suggests that he can operate effectively for a team that does dominate possession though a lowly accuracy of just 81 per cent at club level suggests this is an area to his game that requires refinement.
Castello Lukeba – RB Leipzig
Having joined from Lyon over the summer, RB Leipzig will be keen to rebuff any efforts to sign Castello Lukeba this month.
The 21-year-old has started 11 of 16 matches for the top-four chasing German side, and while he didn’t wholly impress in RB Leipzig’s Champions League group stage meetings with Manchester City, the France international is a composed centre-back that helps instigate attacks from defence.
A 91% pass success rate ranks ninth in Germany’s top tier, that return coming from an average of 75.4 passes per 90, the 14th most in the division.
Lukeba moved to RB Leipzig for a reported €34m in the summer and penned a five-year deal in the process, so potential suitors will need to fork out to sign the youngster this month.
Jorrel Hato – Ajax
Jorrel Hato made history earlier this season when he became the youngest player to captain Ajax in European competition.
The defender doesn’t turn 18 until March and his form for the Dutch powerhouse has seen him linked with a move to Arsenal. However, his style of play would undoubtedly suit Manchester City and Liverpool, two sides who seek to use the centre-backs to get the ball rolling.
Only Feyenoord‘s David Hancko (91.9) is averaging more passes per game than Hato (81.6) in the Eredivisie this season, while a success rate of 91.3% is the third best in the Dutch top tier. Hato makes the ‘Ajax Way’ look easy.
Crucially, the teenage defender has just 18 months left to run on his current deal in Amsterdam. Ajax will be keen to tie the Netherlands international down to a long-term deal but he could be lured to the bright lights of the Premier League. He has the skillset to succeed in England that’s for sure.
Antonio Silva – Benfica
Moving over to Portugal now, Antonio Silva has been linked with a high-profile move to the Premier League for some time now.
The Portugal international has shone for Benfica this season, noted in that his WhoScored.com rating of 7.21 is the best of all centre-backs in Liga Bwin this season.
At just 20 years of age, Silva has already been tipped to enjoy a bright future in the game and interest from England shouldn’t come as a surprise.
A pass success rate of 92.8 per cent is the best in Portugal’s top tier this term, while the Benfica star also has the best tackle success rate (93.9 per cent) in Liga Bwin having been dribbled past just three times across 14 league outings. A solid winner and recycler of possession? No wonder Europe’s elite are keeping tabs on Silva.
Goncalo Inacio – Sporting CP
Crossing the Lisbon divide, Goncalo Inacio is another who has been linked with a Premier League switch, with Liverpool among those keeping tabs on the young Portugese centre-back.
It’s easy to see why, too, with Inacio ranking top for passes per game (79.4) in Liga Bwin this season. He isn’t the only Sporting CP defender linked with a January exit either, with Ousmane Diomande wanted by Chelsea this month.
Inacio may not be as refined as compatriot Silva in possession, with the former’s pass success rate coming in at 87.9% in Liga Bwin this season, yet the 22-year-old is the ideal modern day centre-back with ample top level experience for both club and country.
Not only would interested sides be acquiring a centre-back for the future but one ready to compete in the here and now. That a host of Premier League sides have Inacio high up on their January wishlist shouldn’t come as a surprise.
