Manchester United will face Liverpool if they want to make a bid for Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio.
The centre-back, who has scored two goals in four matches in Portugal, has helped his side remain unbeaten so far this season and steered them to the top of the Portuguese league. Both Liverpool and United are expected to look for new centre-backs in the next two transfer windows.
According to The Mirror, Inácio is a target for United, but Jurgen Klopp sent a scout to watch the 22-year-old defender during last week’s game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The player has the same representation as Bruno Fernandes and agent Miguel Pinho is in talks over a move for the captain to Old Trafford in 2020.
However, Sporting are not interested in letting him go in January. Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is busy this season. Manchester United ‘confirmed’ £61m replacement for Casemiro and other transfer rumours.
Inacio has already made 129 senior appearances for his employers and the price didn’t come cheap, having signed a new deal in August that will keep him at the club until 2027. United are expected to make a decision on the centre-back within the next six months.
Harry Maguire has said he could look for a new club until Euro 2024 if he remains bottom, but Lisandro Martinez is likely until next year so it could be a longer period.
Meanwhile, MEN Sport understands United are close to extending Victor Lindelof’s one-year contract. The club will have to make a decision on 35-year-old Jonny Evans after he signed a surprisingly short 12-month deal on deadline day next summer.
Elsewhere, Dutch journalist Mikos Gouka suggests Erik Ten Hag’s assistant Mitchell van der Gaag is likely to leave United for Ajax after a poor season. I said it was low.Defeat at bottom club Utrecht left the Eredivisie giants in the relegation zone and reports suggest van der Gaag is one of the players the club will look to replace current manager Maurice Stein.
The former Ajax youth manager has moved to Manchester with Ten Hag in 2022 and Guca said he was unlikely to leave his role at Old Trafford and return to Amsterdam.
