Liverpool are preparing a Manchester United transfer hijack as they are reportedly keen to sign Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio. The Merseysiders are said to be the club pressing the hardest to sign the 22-year-old, despite the fact he shares an agent with Red Devils star Bruno Fernandes.
Liverpool chiefs are currently trying to identify long-term centre-back replacements for Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, who are both 32 years old. Van Dijk had been a standout player for the Reds after joining the club from Southampton in 2018. But his form has dipped in recent times following his comeback from the anterior cruciate ligament he sustained three years ago.
According to The Mirror, Liverpool sent scouts to evaluate Inacio when Portugal thrashed Bosnia 5-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifier last week. Inacio played the full 90 minutes alongside Ruben Dias at centre-back and had a relatively quiet night as his country dominated proceedings. And he certainly didn’t look out of place next to the Manchester City defender.
Inacio had been earmarked as a potential replacement for Red Devils centre-back Harry Maguire in the summer as the Englishman was linked with a move to West Ham. But Erik ten Hag opted against bolstering the position after Maguire’s move to east London broke down.
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Inacio and Fernandes are both represented by Miguel Pinho. Pinho is the man who negotiated a deal to take Fernandes from Sporting to United in January 2020 and could well have good relations with the Old Trafford club following that transfer. But neither Pinho or Sporting will be interested in facilitating a deal for Inacio to move to the Premier League during the January transfer window. So Liverpool and United may have to wait until next summer to start their transfer war.
Inacio has featured 133 times for Sporting since breaking into the team in 2020. The defender started all six of his team’s Champions League matches last season and is yet to miss a minute of Primeira Liga or Europa League action this time around. He has also won four caps for Portugal and will be hoping to nail down a starting place at next summer’s Euro 2024.
The interest around Inacio has been amplified by his calmness in possession and ability to play out from the back. The left-footed star is highly regarded in his homeland and has been tipped to enjoy a big future at the top of the game.
And after excelling in his homeland, he could soon have his pick of clubs in the north west if Liverpool and United do indeed come calling at the end of the campaign.
