According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Liverpool and Manchester United have sent scouts to keep an eye on Sporting CP’s centre-back, Goncalo Inacio.
The 22-year-old had been on United’s radar earlier in the year as a potential replacement for Harry Maguire, but the English star remained at Old Trafford, and no new centre-back was brought in as a result.
Although the Red Devils’ interest in Inacio persists, they now face strong competition from Liverpool, who watched the Portuguese player in action during the international break.
Inacio was in the starting lineup for Portugal, playing alongside Manchester City’s Ruben Dias in a 5-0 victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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The Merseyside club scouted the young defender during this match, as per A Bola. The player is now a focal point of a transfer battle between the two Premier League powerhouses, both of which are highly interested in acquiring his services.
Inacio has accumulated significant experience, having made 133 appearances for Sporting since his introduction to the first team in 2020.
His experience spans various competitions, including the Champions League, and Europa League, and he has earned four caps for the Portuguese national team.
The centre-back has also demonstrated his goal-scoring ability, netting twice for Portugal in a 9-0 victory over Luxembourg.
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He has a knack for finding the back of the net for his club too, with 11 goals to his name from a defensive position in his relatively young career.
Sporting recently extended the youngster’s contract in August, and it now runs until 2027. This means they won’t be forced to sell one of their promising talents, even if Premier League clubs express interest during the January transfer window.
It remains to be seen how Liverpool deals with this situation and whether they are ready to splash an attractive sum to lure to player to Anfield.
