Manchester United are ready to step up their interest in signing 21-year-old Portuguese centre-back Goncalo Inacio ahead of next season.
According to a report by Correo da Manha Weekend, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester United are keen on signing the Goncalo Inacio in the summer. While they have been interested in the 21-year-old Portuguese centre-back for a while now, they were unsure before his performances ended their doubts.
Inacio had an impressive outing against Arsenal in the Europa League recently. And Manchester United’s doubts regarding him have come to an end. They are convinced that the 21-year-old will be a great fit for the club.
The Portugal Under-21 star joined the youth academy of Sporting CP back in the summer of 2012. He has gone up the ranks since joining them and has become a regular in the recent past. Inacio’s performances have impressed a lot of clubs from across Europe.
The Sporting CP centre-back has a contract with the club until the summer of 2026. But, he is expected to leave them ahead of next season given the interest in his services. As per the reports, the Portuguese club want €35 million for the 21-year-old. Meanwhile, Manchester United have their eyes set on Inacio. They want to add more quality to their defence and have identified the Portuguese defender as a potential target.
Erik ten Hag, who arrived at the club ahead of the ongoing season, has done a great job so far. He has already won a trophy and is still in contention for three more. And, Manchester United are all set to return to the UEFA Champions League next season with a top-four finish in the league almost certain.
However, ten Hag has identified a few areas that need reinforcement ahead of next season. The Dutch manager is keen on adding a new defender to his ranks and wants Inacio at the club. Manchester United’s interest in the player is concrete. But, it is not yet certain whether they are willing to meet the asking price.
Erik ten Hag will not have much help from the board in terms of the transfer budget because of the takeover talks. However, the club are all set to sell multiple players to raise funds. And, they will surely have enough in the tank to pay €35 million to land the 21-year-old at Old Trafford. But, it won’t be that easy to land the Portugal Under-21 star given the interest in his services from across Europe.
