The next superstar to emerge from Portugal has chosen his ideal Premier League club amid Manchester United and Liverpool vying for his services, according to a report.
Portugal have produced some incredibly talented players who have made a big impact in the Premier League in recent years. The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Neves have shone on English soil.
And the trend looks set to continue through exciting stars such as Joao Palhinha and Matheus Nunes.
There could be more Portuguese players moving to England’s top flight this summer, too. Arsenal and Chelsea are keeping tabs on deadly attacker Rafael Leao in case AC Milan fail to organise a new contract for him. Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos is on Erik ten Hag’s shortlist at Man Utd, in case the Red Devils miss out on more experienced options Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen.
Goncalo Inacio is also in line for a switch to the Prem. The centre-back may be only 21 years old but he is already a crucial part of the Sporting Lisbon team, having made 48 appearances in all competitions this season.
He played in all six of Sporting’s Champions League group games before they were knocked out of the competition and dropped down to the Europa League.
The defender played ever single minute as Sporting pulled off a shock by dumping Arsenal out of the Europa League in the round of 16.
Inacio seems ready to the take next step in his career, and both Man Utd and Liverpool are willing to offer him that. Man Utd have already held preliminary talks with his agent, who also represents Fernandes.
Liverpool could lose star signing to Man Utd
But on Friday it emerged Liverpool have the ‘most pressing’ interest in capturing Inacio from Sporting.
According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, as cited by Sport Witness, Inacio has made a big hint about where he wants to go next. The two-cap Portugal international is learning towards Man Utd, as they ‘appeal to the player’ most.
Inacio likes the way Ten Hag’s ‘project’ is going at Old Trafford. Under the Dutchman, Man Utd have won the Carabao Cup, reached the FA Cup final and put themselves in a good position to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Inacio would still be more than happy to join Liverpool, but at this point he feels Man Utd are a bit further ahead with their project.
His arrival at Man Utd would force Harry Maguire out of the club. Maguire, who is Man Utd’s captain, has had an eventful and troublesome spell since moving from Leicester for a world-record £80million in 2019.
Maguire has been unlucky in that the massive price tag has put every single one of his performances under scrutiny. Although, he has not helped himself by being guilty of some bad mistakes in a Man Utd shirt.
After what happened with Maguire, Man Utd will be wary about spending too much money on a defender again and putting him under huge pressure to succeed. This latest report does not reveal how much Inacio will cost, though he has previously been valued at €45m (£40m).
Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is plotting a free-transfer raid on Man Utd, according to a report.
