Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League.

A report from Mais Futebol claims that Newcastle United have been tracking the player since last season, and they are now looking to make a move for him during the January transfer window.

Sporting CP will not negotiate his departure midway through the season and therefore Newcastle will have to trigger his €60 million release clause in order to sign the player. The 22-year-old Portuguese international has shown his quality for club and country and he has the attributes to develop into a world-class defender.

Newcastle could certainly use defensive reinforcements and Inacio would be a quality long-term investment for them. The 22-year-old could be the ideal, long-term partner for Sven Botman at the heart of the defence.

Meanwhile, a report from Correio Da Manha (h/t SportWitness) claims that Liverpool and Manchester United are interested in the player as well.

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Ibrahima Konate and Virgil Van Dijk are the only reliable central defenders at the club and it is no surprise that Liverpool are looking at defenders. The 22-year-old would be a solid acquisition for them and they have the finances to pay the reported release clause as well.

As far as Manchester United are concerned, the likes of Harry Maguire have been linked with moves away from the club, and the Red Devils will have to bring in adequate replacements.

Inacio would improve all three Premier League clubs, and the opportunity to play for them will be quite exciting for the player as well. It will be interesting to see where he ends up eventually.

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The rise of Newcastle United under the ownership of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the management of Eddie Howe can most notably be seen by the fact that the Magpies are now on a level playing field with any other club regarding transfers.

When European football’s hottest properties become available Newcastle are one of the teams in the conversation, and that’s something unlikely to have been the case even as recently as a couple of years ago.

According to Mais Futebol, the Magpies are now looking at the possibility of paying Goncalo Inacio’s €60m release clause in the upcoming transfer window.

The 22-year-old Sporting centre-back has also been linked to Man United and Liverpool, per The Hard Tackle.

It’s obvious why all three Premier League outfits would be keen to acquire the Portuguese international.

Man United would appear to have question marks over the futures of both Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, Liverpool wouldn’t be averse to having another high-quality exponent to play alongside Virgil van Dijk and Newcastle’s defensive injury woes are getting worse by the week.

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Sporting aren’t likely to be too enamoured at potentially losing one of their best players, however, if any team meets the release clause, there’s little they can do.

It would then be purely down to the players own wishes as to where he wishes to further his career.

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Manchester United and Liverpool have reportedly been handed a potential boost in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio as the player is said to dream of a move to the Premier League.

The talented Portugal international has impressed in recent times and a report from Correio da Manha, as cited and translated by Sport Witness, states that Liverpool and Man Utd are among the player’s suitors as he hopes to play in England some day soon.

Inacio certainly looks like he’d be a solid signing for either of these clubs, with United surely in need of a top young defender coming in to succeed the likes of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, who have both had spells of being in and out of Erik ten Hag’s side, and who aren’t getting any younger.

Liverpool, meanwhile, remain pretty strong at the back, though Jurgen Klopp might also have one eye on the age of some of his key players like Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip.

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The report explains that Inacio won’t come cheap as Sporting don’t want to negotiate his sale, though he does have a release clause worth €60million.

That might be tempting for the likes of United and Liverpool, though they might also feel that cheaper players are out there.

The post Man United & Liverpool given potential boost in pursuit of €60million transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Though they will need to keep within the bounds of Financial Fair Play, Newcastle’s lofty ambitions under the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are clear.

The Magpies upward trajectory is continuing, though their immediate ambitions may have to be given a rain check as they currently have 14 players out injured (Premier Injuries) with some important Premier League and Champions League games on the horizon.

Whether or not they negotiate the games this side of Christmas successfully, it appears almost certain that they will enter the transfer market when it opens in January.

Eddie Howe continues to be backed in that regard by the owners, and PIF will understand that, injuries or not, Howe still needs to be given the right tools to do the job if they want him to bring the success they crave to St. James’ Park.

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To that end, Portuguese outlets O Jogo and Record (h/t TeamTalk) are reporting that the Magpies could be looking to make a double swoop for Sporting pair, Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande.

TeamTalk note that their combined release clauses total €140m/£122m, so it would represent a huge outlay from the Newcastle board.

Unless they’re able to general significant income to balance out the spend, the likelihood is that buying both players will have to wait.

Injuries could still ensure that one of the pair has to be secured in January, with the other perhaps following in the summer.

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Manchester United are reportedly currently ahead of Real Madrid in the race for the transfer of Sporting Lisbon centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

The talented young Portugal international has impressed in recent times and it looks like he could soon earn himself a move to a bigger club.

Inacio will undoubtedly be particularly tempting to the likes of Man Utd and Real Madrid due to the fact that he has a release clause worth just €60million in his current contract, according to the print edition of Spanish newspaper AS, as cited and translated by Sport Witness.

The Red Devils are currently leading the race for his signature, according to the report, and fans will surely hope they can continue to remain in a strong position.

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It’s been a difficult season at Old Trafford, and a signing like Inacio could be important to give Erik ten Hag more options at the back after Raphael Varane’s recent fall out of favour, and with Lisandro Martinez injured.

MUFC made a few changes to their squad in the summer, but they weren’t able to strengthen their defence, with just veteran free agent Jonny Evans coming in during the summer.

Real Madrid might also do well to sign Inacio, however, as the likes of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba aren’t getting any younger.

The post Manchester United ahead of Real Madrid in race for potential €60million transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League.

Premier League clubs Manchester United and Liverpool remain keen on him and they are now set to scout the defender at the weekend.

A report from Correio da Manha (h/t SportWitness) claims that the two English clubs will send officials to Lisbon in order to watch the 22-year-old defender in action against Benfica.

The Portuguese international defender has established himself as a key player for Sporting CP and his performances have attracted a lot of attention. The defender has a €60 million release clause in his contract and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool and Manchester United are ready to pay that kind of money for him.

It is no secret that Liverpool need to sign a quality, central defender and someone like Inacio would be the perfect acquisition for them. The 22-year-old is versatile enough to operate as the left-sided central defender as well as a full-back. His arrival will allow Liverpool to operate in a back four as well as a back three.

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In addition to that, he could be a useful alternative to Andrew Robertson as well.

The 22-year-old is likely to improve further with coaching and experience he could develop into a top-class defender in the near future.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will need to replace Harry Maguire if the England international decides to move on due to the lack of playing time. The 22-year-old would improve both Premier League clubs and it remains to be seen where he ends up.

The post Manchester United, Liverpool to send officials to watch 22-year-old this week appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United could be set to sell Raphael Varane to a club in the Saudi Pro League in this January’s transfer window, with Harry Maguire now seen as increasingly likely to stay at Old Trafford.

Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Man Utd would be ready to consider the right offer for Varane, who is attracting interest from the PIF group of Saudi clubs, meaning he could end up at any one of Al Ahli, Al Hilal, Al Nassr or Al Ittihad, depending on who needs him most.

A host of big names moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer, with Cristiano Ronaldo starting this trend when he joined Al Nassr almost a year ago after also leaving United.

The Red Devils are keen to make a centre-back a priority for 2024, and while it had previously seemed like Maguire could be the obvious choice to leave, that is no longer the case, as the player remains keen to fight for his place in Erik ten Hag’s squad, whereas Varane is understood to have expressed a desire to try a new challenge.

The Frenchman has been a solid performer since his move from Real Madrid a couple of years ago, but it also seems pretty clear that he’s no longer at the peak of his powers, and MUFC have identified some younger centre-backs as potential replacements.

CaughtOffside understands that Goncalo Inacio, Antonio Silva, Edmond Tapsoba and Marc Guehi are among the names on the club’s list of targets in that area of the pitch, though the preferred option at the top of their list is Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

Todibo has long been scouted closely by United, and it’s widely felt that he could soon leave his current club for a new challenge, with Nice likely to ask for around £44million to let him go. Reports have also linked Chelsea with the player, but CaughtOffside‘s sources are not currently aware of anything happening on that front.

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United, meanwhile, are continuing to back Ten Hag as manager, with no truth to links with other big names like Zinedine Zidane and Ruben Amorim, while it remains the case that Jadon Sancho is likely to leave Old Trafford in January, though no one has come forward with a concrete approach so far.

Anthony Martial could also leave, depending on offers, but United hope to agree new contracts for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof, while there is not currently any plan to move Antony on. Marcus Rashford is also fully focused and committed to the club despite recently landing himself in trouble with Ten Hag for attending a birthday party shortly after the defeat in the Manchester Derby.

The post Exclusive: Another defender now more likely than Harry Maguire to seal transfer out of Man United in January appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

If they weren’t already, Real Madrid’s miracle victory, by the hand of miracle man, confirmed that Spain, or more accurately Madridistas, are obsessed with Jude Bellingham.

His Clasico brace was confirmation to many in La Liga that perhaps nobody, on form, in the world is better. The 20-year-old’s performance was Cristiano Ronaldo-esque, scoring twice from nothing and swinging the game in their favour. So mature for his age, even his answers about being mature are mature.

It’s been a big week for Los Blancos. Vinicius Junior renewed until 2027, Rodrygo Goes renewed until 2028, and the noise about Kylian Mbappe is growing once more, confidence that they can sign him rising with it. Meanwhile they are lining up a move for Portuguese central defender Goncalo Inacio, according to the latest reports, as well as Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies.

Even Jude Bellingham's answers about being mature are mature. pic.twitter.com/vbNmnYu6aX

— Football España (@footballespana_) November 3, 2023

As Barcelona lick their wounds, Ilkay Gundogan’s post-Clasico rant went viral, but Xavi Hernandez told the press that not only were they making a mountain out of a mole hill, but that he agreed with Gundogan. They too are rethinking their transfer strategy though, and will scour the January market for an impossible task: a cheap, quality holding midfielder.

Everything was going swimmingly for Atletico Madrid, with reports that Diego Simeone has agreed to a new contract surfacing early in the week for the form side in La Liga. That was until they ended Las Palmas’ 36-year wait for a home win against them on Friday night, going down 2-1 and missing the chance to go top.

Meanwhile Real Sociedad host Barcelona on Saturday night. Tottenham Hotspur will be watching. Spurs are reportedly scouting midfielder Brais Mendez, who has 10 goal contributions in just 14 games this season, and is being tipped for a return to the Spain team. And in positive news, Nabil Fekir is back in the Real Betis squad, eight months after tearing his ACL.

The post Inside Spain: Jude Bellingham obsession, Tottenham scouting midfielder, Real Madrid lining up moves appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool are reportedly expected to battle Real Madrid for the potential transfer of Sporting Lisbon centre-back Goncalo Inacio, who has a €60million release clause.

The talented 22-year-old has impressed in his time in Portugal and it seems inevitable that he’ll soon earn himself a big move.

Real Madrid are now said to be keen on signing a new centre-back this January, with Inacio being looked at as an option, though Liverpool are also mentioned as possible competitors in this transfer battle, according to Spanish outlet AS, as translated by Sport Witness.

Inacio could be a useful signing for Liverpool right now as they surely need to start planning for life after the ageing Virgil van Dijk, while Joel Matip is also surely nearing the end of his Anfield career.

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Still, Real are perhaps ahead of LFC in their project right now, so Inacio could find it hard to turn down the chance to link up with the rest of Carlo Ancelotti’s impressive young side.

Sporting won’t want to lose this key player, but that release clause surely makes it difficult for them going into this January.

The post Liverpool battling Real Madrid for transfer of €60million-rated 22-year-old appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It’s clear that Man United don’t have enough strength in depth in central defence, and that’s highlighted when the likes of Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez get injured.

For any of the top clubs to sustain a season-long challenge nowadays, they need four top-class central defenders that, whilst they may not be happy to rotate, at least give their manager sufficient options.

Erik ten Hag’s side have suffered at various stages this season and for a variety of reasons, though one can point to a lack of stability at the back as being a major concern.

It’s perhaps with that in mind that the Red Devils have been scouting a new centre-back extensively, and once Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrives on the scene, it’s possible the club could land their preferred target.

‘I told you United were already scouting some players such as Antonio Silva from Benfica, who’s considered a super talented centre-back,’ CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano, wrote in his exclusive Daily Briefing.

‘Staying in Portugal, a Sporting player called Goncalo Inacio who is left-footed and a different kind of centre-back, more technical than fast, is being looked at.’

There’s one player above all others that United have already considered signing, and despite the expected expense, the fact that he plays for Nice, also owned by Sir Jim, is likely to tip the balance.

‘Jean-Clair Todibo is having an incredible season at Nice and was already very expensive last summer when United considered the possibility of signing him,’ Romano continued.

‘At that point Nice wanted €40m/€45m, so imagine now, with the club first in the Ligue Un table, the boy is gonna be super expensive – but Man United really like him.’

At the time of writing, United will be readying themselves for a Manchester derby that has arguably seen them written off before a ball has been kicked.

The importance of a win for the Red Devils can’t be understated, however.

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If ten Hag’s side were to acquire the three points after Sunday’s Old Trafford encounter, it would put them sixth and just three points behind Pep Guardiola’s swashbucklers, who themselves haven’t had the best start to a season either.

It promises to be an absorbing encounter, and how United’s centre-backs deal with the likes of Erling Haaland is likely to author the result – as well as give ten Hag and Sir Jim some food for thought in the transfer market.

The post Exclusive: Man United’s new centre-back in 2024 could be heavily influenced by Sir Jim Ratcliffe appeared first on CaughtOffside.