Based on various reports, Manchester United are keeping tabs on young Sporting CP defender Gonçalo Inácio as the club hope to overhaul their struggling team for the upcoming season.
According to the Portuguese news outlet, Correio da Manhã (via Sportswitness), Man United are ‘eyeing’ the 20-year-old centre-back who has impressed significantly for the Portuguese club. Gonçalo has featured 44 times for the Lions this season (stats via transfermarkt), embodying a figure of consistency. The young defender has springboarded into the first XI in his first full season as a senior team player after spending the majority of his youth career at the Lisbon. Inácio has garnered interest from several top clubs across the top 5 leagues, including the Red Devils. Inácio has already won three domestic cups at his current club and has been capped 2 times for Portugal U-21s.
Ten Hag will be looking to perform a massive overhaul of the dressing room over at Old Trafford. United have already managed to lower their expectations of fans and neutrals across the globe with their performance each week. It has been strongly reinforced that Ten Hag’s rebuild plan is going for young, talented, and hungry players instead of splashing the cash on established stars who would burn a hole through United’s pockets. However, Inácio wouldn’t be a cheap transport to Manchester as the Portuguese still has 4 years left on his contract and a solid season in his pocket, which would definitely bump his price up. According to Manchester Evening News, the defender could cost United around £38.5 million. United haven’t made contact with Sporting for the sale of Inácio yet, but their interest is ‘very real,” as they have been following for ‘some time.’
Ten Hag is yet to touch down in Manchester as his Ajax attempts to win the Eredivisie with a determined PSV tailing behind them. Despite that, it seems like the Dutchman had made his opinion about the signing clear already.
Although the reports suggest that there is very real interest from Manchester United to secure the services of the 20-year-old, Sporting seems reluctant to let go of Gonçalo Inácio. Manager Ruben Amorim has already claimed that he would like to have him in the squad next season. This isn’t the first news of an English club interested in the centre-back. Earlier this week, the same outlet had reported that Newcastle were eager to get Inácio down to St. James’ Park next season, only now pitting the Magpies and Red Devils side-by-side in the race to secure the signature of the Sporting no. 25. United wouldn’t be surprised to see Newcastle vying for the signing of a promising player, as has been the case with their interests in various other big names after their recent rise in wealth.
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The Portuguese has been crucial in helping his team concede the second least goals in the Primera Liga this season and has even chipped in with 5 goals and 2 assists. With Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and even Raphael Varane looking shaky at times, getting in a young talent can only help spurn the veterans to do better in the upcoming campaign.
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