
Manchester United
Premier League • England
Man Utd ‘hold talks’ with Sporting CP star as Amorim tipped to make shock transfer U-turn

Man Utd are interested in Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio
Manchester United have reportedly ‘held talks’ over a blockbuster January move for Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio, with a potential loan move on the cards.
Ruben Amorim has previously said that he wouldn’t raid Sporting for any of his former players in the winter window, but it’s claimed that his stance has now changed.
“I will not sign any Sporting player at Man Utd in January… then, what happens in the summer I don’t know. Sporting players are good players. We will see what happens,” Amorim said in November.
However, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Man Utd have held talks with Inacio’s agent, Miguel Pinho, over a potential move for the defender.
It’s claimed that Man Utd are interested in signing Inacio on loan and would be willing to include an obligation to buy in the deal for the 23-year-old.
Inacio’s agent Pinha also represents Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes so he already has close ties with the English club – which could give them a secret weapon in negotiations.
Inacio is a key player for Sporting and has made 20 appearances across all competitions for Sporting this season. He has a €60million (£50.3m / $61.5m) release clause in his contract, which is valid until 2027.
READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano confirms Man Utd ‘working on’ long-awaited deal, as reasons behind delay revealed
Man Utd are big admirers of Goncalo Inacio
Reports on Saturday from another Portuguese outlet, Maisfutebol, claimed that Man Utd would be willing to include a £33.6million obligation to buy in any loan for Inacio.
It’s noted that Borussia Dortmund are also keeping tabs on Inacio’s situation and they are reportedly open to offering the same amount for the defender.
TEAMtalk correspondent Rudy Galetti revealed back in October that Inacio is on Man Utd’s shortlist. Victor Lindelof is currently injured and with his contract to expire next summer, it makes sense that the Red Devils are looking at centre-back targets.
Sporting are reluctant to lose Inacio but Man Utd’s interest in him has been widely reported this past week, so it’ll be interesting to see how this story develops.
Inacio is considered to be one of the best young defenders in Europe on his day and has plenty of experience in the Champions League, while he’s also chalked up 12 caps for Portugal’s first team so far.
Man Utd’ round-up: Rashford exit hurdle / Garnacho to Napoli?!
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford’s agents continue to explore potential moves away from Man Utd for the forward, who doesn’t seem to be part of Amorim’s plans.
AC Milan have been heavily linked with Rashford and are one of the sides to have held talks with his representatives, but reports suggest that they may not move for him this month now.
That’s because the Italian side are reportedly prioritising a move for Manchester City veteran Kyle Walker instead. Milan only have one slot in their squad available for a UK player. As such, if they were to sign Walker it would put an end to their attempts to sign Rashford on loan.
In other news, Napoli could reportedly pursue a move for Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho if they lose Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is a key target for Paris Saint-Germain.
Man Utd are open to offloading homegrown stars like Alejandro Garnacho if the price is right. The proceeds from the sale of academy graduates are logged as ‘pure profit’ on the books and that is beneficial with regards to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Napoli manager Antonio Conte has reportedly identified Garnacho as his ‘No. 1 target’ to replace Kvaratskhelia.
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