MAN UTD EYE SUMMER SWOOP FOR £45M "SENSATION"

Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Sporting CP defender, Goncalo Inacio ahead of the summer transfer window, as manager Erik ten Hag seeks to strengthen his backline.

What's the latest on Inacio to Man United?

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo - via Sports Witness - the Red Devils are believed to have been watching the 21-year-old for a 'long time', with the Premier League outfit one of several European clubs to have sent scouts to watch the centre-back in action against Vizela on Friday evening.

The report suggests that United are always 'very attentive' to what is going on in the Primeira Lga and its potential stars, having previously snapped up Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo from the Lisbon outfit in the recent past.

As per Football Insider, however, Ten Hag could well face competition for the signing of the one-cap Portugal international - who could command a fee of around £45m - amid claims that Newcastle United are also in the running at present.

Who is Goncalo Inacio?

The 6 foot 1 starlet is evidently a highly-coveted young talent and a player who could well be on his way to England in the near future, with the youngster having been hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as "another sensation" to have emerged from Sporting's academy

The "ball-playing" left-footer - as described by Kulig - has established himself as a leading presence at Estadio Jose Alvalade despite his relative youth, having already made 122 appearances across all fronts to date, scoring 11 times and contributing eight assists in that time.

That includes a respectable tally of four goals and three assists from his defensive berth in 52 games across all fronts this season, with Inacio notably helping to dump Arsenal out of the Europa League last 16, having scored in the 2-2 draw in the first-leg.

Not only has the Almada native already proven himself against English opposition - having been part of the side that also beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier in the campaign - but he could also be attractive to United as he is said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with one of Ten Hag's former Ajax assets, Jurrien Timber, as per FBref.

That likeness between Inacio and his fellow 21-year-old is shown by their innate ability at playing out from the back, with the Sporting gem ranking in the top 1% among his peers in the 'Men's next eight competitions' for progressive passes as well as in the top 3% for progressive carries, while Timber ranks in the top 1% for both of those metrics.

The two exciting centre-back's are also alike due to their defensive prowess, with the Portuguese ace having recorded 39 tackles and 45 interceptions in the league this season, while his Dutch counterpart has recorded 42 and 47 for those same two metrics, respectively.

That comparison is noteworthy as Timber previously shone under Ten Hag's tutelage in Amsterdam, having scored four goals and provided two assists in 74 games during their time working together.

With the United boss previously hailing his compatriot as a "great leader", he clearly holds a strong affection for the Utrecht native, hence what a wise move it would be to snap up the 53-year-old's next Timber with the signing of Inacio.

2023-05-29T11:54:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd