{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Manchester United favourites to sign Goncalo Inacio from Sporting CP - report
Manchester United are leading the race to sign Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio in a deal that could be worth up to €45m (£38.4m), according to A Bola.
The Red Devils are reportedly keen to bring in a centre-back this summer with Eric Bailly and Phil Jones on the way out this summer, while the future of Harry Maguire is in the air too.
Now Portuguese outlet A Bola are reporting that the Old Trafford club are leading the race ahead of Newcastle to sign the 20-year-old defender, who has a €45m release clause in his contract.
According to the report United have already made a plan to convince the 2021 Portuguese champions to accept their offer, although they don’t want to pay the full amount of the clause.
They say the club will put a bid of €40m (£34m) on the table, with variables and bonuses taking the total amount up to €45m (£38.4m) which Sporting are looking for.
Huge talent
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
The 20-year-old defender has been a key cog in the machine that Ruben Amorim has built in the Portuguese capital, coming through their famed academy and becoming one of the best defenders in Portugal.
With excellent ball playing ability from the back he would suit the attributes desired by Erik Ten Hag from his defenders, while also having great aerial ability in both boxes and great speed.
He’s young enough to be coached and learn things from the likes of Raphael Varane, and United will be encouraged by the way Portuguese players have performed in the Premier League in the past.
Newcastle are also said to be in the race as they look to bolster their squad this summer and move away from relegation battles towards European football, but the player would prefer to move to a club of the stature of Manchester United.
It would be a great signing and a step in the right direction for a club that has lost it’s way in the market over the years.
In other Manchester United news, Manchester United v Nottingham Forest FA Youth Cup final sells out Old Trafford