Manchester United are looking to sign centre-backs this summer to strengthen the position and Goncalo Inacio is one of the names linked.
In 2017 Manchester United looked to the Portuguese league to sign a centre-back, bringing in Victor Lindelof from Benfica.
This summer is expected to be Lindelof’s last at United, and to replace him, the club could once again look to sign a player from the league he previously played in.
A name consistently linked to United over the past two years is Sporting centre-back Goncalo Inacio.
Goncalo Inacio release clause
Goncalo Inacio was a regular in the Sporting team which won the Portuguese league title last season, 10 points clear of their nearest rivals.
The 22-year-old centre-back played 49 games in all competitions for Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo‘s former side, scoring four times.
Goncalo Inacio has a release clause in his Sporting contract at 60 million Euros, which equates to £51 million.
Ongoing Manchester United links to Goncalo Inacio
Manchester United were first linked to Goncalo Inacio in May 2022, via Portuguese newspaper Correia da Manha.
He made his debut for Sporting in October 2020 at age 19 under manager Ruben Amorim, and he has been a key part of the manager’s success at the club.
Inacio has won two league titles and two Portuguese cups, and made 171 career appearances to date for the club.
He only made his Portugal debut late last year in October 2023, and has since earned eight caps, now part of the club’s Euro 2024 squad.
United have continued to be linked with Inacio over the past two seasons. Last week Fabrizio Romano said on YouTube that if the club target a left-footed centre-back, the Sporting defender will be near the top of the list.
Sporting are expected to hold out for Inacio’s release clause. He is under contract to 2028, and they won’t want to unsettle in-demand boss Amorim by selling their stars if they can help it.