They spent big in the summer, signing Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojland and Andre Onana for a fee in excess of £150m. Although Hojlund is more expensive than the trio, the Dane had yet to start in the Premier League before scoring his first domestic goal in a 3-2 Boxing Day win against Aston Villa.
But while United struggled to score before the game – their 18 Premier League goals this season were more than Sheffield United’s – they failed to keep clean sheets at the other end.The injury crisis at centre-backs in recent months, which has seen Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane sidelined, has forced Ten Hag to look for other solutions. According to the Daily Mirror, one of those decisions was to enter the transfer market, with Sporting Lisbon star Goncalo Inacio said to be on the shortlist of four players. However, the £52m left-handed centre-back has been linked with a move to Liverpool by Portuguese journalist Jornal de Notícias.
Inacio, who has consistently impressed for Sporting in recent seasons, is used to playing on the left flank of a back three in Portugal. Liverpool themselves are currently struggling with injury problems in defence. This is because they currently lack a proper left-back and consequently cannot cover Virgil van Dijk’s centre-back. Natural centre-back Joe Gomez is currently effective at both ends of the defense while Andy Robertson recovers from a shoulder injury.
Inacio could be a long-term replacement for Van Dijk, who turns 33 in July, and the pair could play together in the same team where the Dutchman is right-footed.
Liverpool could be close to snapping up one of the four players. Erik Ten Hag “asked” for a contract from Manchester United. Liverpool could be closing in on poaching one of the four players. Eric Ten Hag asked Manchester United to sign him earlier this year. Manchester united are unlikely to complete any major deals in the next January transfer window, the club’s chief operating officer Colette Roche told a recent fans’ forum.
