Manchester United will need to strengthen their backline if some of the first-team regulars in that area leave the club this summer, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof among the players to potentially depart.
Maguire has slipped down Erik ten Hag’s pecking order and Lindelof will be seeking regular first-team football after a stunning end to the season.
Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio has risen through the ranks at the Portuguese giants lately and his performances for his club have caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The centre-back is one of Sporting’s most valuable assets and with United potentially looking at centre-backs, that has led to a flurry of links to the 21-year-old.
Now, it is being reported that amid interest from both Manchester United and Newcastle United, the player would prefer to join the former if it came down to it.
That’s according to O Jogo, via Sport Witness, who say that although a contract renewal is not off the table, Inacio is keeping all of his options open ahead of this summer’s transfer window. As per the report, Newcastle’s interest in Inacio has not wowed the defender.
It’s also reported that Inacio currently has a €45m release clause in his contract, with his club looking to tie him down to a new deal and raise that clause to €60m.
Any immediate resolution to Inacio’s contract situation seems unlikely, however, with the report claiming that the defender will only sign a new deal when he knows for sure that an attractive offer from elsewhere will not be coming.
SN’s verdict…
United have found it difficult to deal with Sporting in the past but at 21 and a stunning season behind him, signing Inacio for €45m may prove to be too good to pass on from United’s perspective.
It is, however, believed that signing a centre-back is not currently a priority, with Ten Hag primarily looking to improve his frontline and midfield first.
It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Harry Kane will be on the market for Premier League clubs this summer and Victor Osimhen, who guided Napoli to their first Serie A title in over 30 years, could prove to be too expensive.
