Goncalo Inacio, a center back for Sporting CP, has drawn interest from Liverpool. Harry Maguire’s replacement at Manchester United was thought to be Inacio.
United’s interest comes as club captain Maguire, 30, is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season in an effort to play regularly elsewhere. Maguire, 30, has struggled this season after losing his spot in the team under Erik ten Hag.
The established central defensive partnership for United is made up of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, with Victor Lindelof also a possibility. In recent weeks, left-back Luke Shaw has also been used in the center of the defense, pushing Harry Maguire to fifth place.
Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, and Joe Gomez make up Liverpool’s core group of central defenders, but the club may look to make changes this summer after a disappointing campaign that saw it finish the year trophyless.
According to a report in Le Parisien, the Reds are the English team that has made the most inquiries about Inacio, who is currently playing for Portugal’s national team. Another team said to have interest in the player is Paris Saint-Germain.
This week, it was reported by O Jogo, as cited by Sport Witness, that Miguel Pinho, the agent of Bruno Fernandes, could be crucial in United’s attempt to bolster their defense with the likelihood that Maguire will leave in the summer transfer window because Inacio is his client.
Maguire was reportedly motivated to reclaim his position under Ten Hag because he wanted to stay with the team and was committed to doing so. However, it is understood that United are considering offers for the club captain as they look to be ruthless with their ongoing squad changes.
The 21-year-old Inacio is well-liked at the club and has made 115 starts for the Lisbon giants. Sporting has a proud history of developing young players before selling them off at high prices, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Nani to United in previous years.
This summer, United will prioritize adding a goalkeeper and a central striker, but additional defense reinforcements are also expected. Ten Hag’s top target is Jeremie Frimpong, the right-back for Bayer Leverkusen.
