Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United to open bidding for Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio in the upcoming summer transfer window
According to the print edition of A Bola (h/t Express), Manchester United are preparing to submit a bid for Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio in the upcoming summer transfer window, in an attempt to reinforce their frail rearguard.
United’s defensive line have performed poorly this term, unable to stand firm against stronger opposition and failing to keep clean sheets. They have been carved apart easily one too many times during the campaign, which is not acceptable for a club of their stature.
The central defensive partnership of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane has not worked out effectively thus far. The former has been culpable of committing schoolboy errors, while the latter has struggled to stay fit to push through a continuous run of games.
The Manchester side also have Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, and Eric Bailly to bank on. Lindelof has stepped in and performed to the best of his ability in place of either Maguire or Varane. However, neither Jones nor Bailly have gotten enough opportunities to prove themselves this season.
United willing to open bid
This has led to the Red Devils looking to sign defensive reinforcements in the summer, and it is said that the club are now willing to open the bidding for Inacio. The centre-back has enjoyed a fruitful campaign with Sporting, who finished as runners-up in the Primeira Liga.
Inacio and Sebastian Coates have excelled for the Portuguese side in central defence, racking up multiple clean sheets as they ended the term with the second-tightest defence in the top-flight. The 20-year-old’s performances have seen Sporting brace themselves for transfer offers at the end of the season, and United could jump at the chance.
The Old Trafford outfit’s inconsistent displays at the back have seen the side suffer in multiple competitions, failing to put in a solid performance to prevent the opposition from scoring. This has seen them be knocked out from several knockout tournaments, failing to win silverware this term.
This summer will now mark five years since the club last won a trophy, extending their trophy drought. Their Premier League position has been hampered by the side’s up and down performances as well, with the team on course to finish sixth in the league table.
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The past week in the top-flight has seen United go from keeping a clean sheet against Brentford in a convincing 3-0 win at home, only to follow it up with a disastrous 4-0 defeat to Brighton away. The same team played against both PL sides but churned out contrasting results.
Perhaps a player of Inacio’s talent could bring the kind of stability at the back that the Red Devils crave. Having kept up an impressive defensive record for Sporting despite his young age, the starlet may well be worth taking a gamble on in the upcoming transfer window.
