04 May 2023 , 05:30
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Manchester United are looking to sign Goncalo Inacio of Sporting CP this summer with the central defender sharing the same agent as Bruno Fernandes.
Both players are represented by Miguel Pinho, who worked on the transfer of Fernandes to Old Trafford in January 2020 and may now also be able to facilitate another move between the clubs. The Red Devils are likely to face competition from Newcastle for the player.
United’s interest comes as club captain Harry Maguire, 30, enduring a difficult campaign after losing his spot in the team under Erik ten Hag and is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season in a bid to play regular football elsewhere.
Maguire has slipped to fifth-choice central defender at the club, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane the preferred partnership while Victor Lindelof is also ahead of the England international while Luke Shaw has also been selected in the heart of defence ahead of Maguire.
It was previously suggested that Maguire wanted to stay with the club and was determined to win his place back under Ten Hag. Asked if he had given any thought to his future in March, the England international replied: “No. There’s a game every three days and I’m training as hard as I can.
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"I’m in a good place mentally and physically, I feel good. The training sessions are really intense, especially the day after a game.
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"There will be lads unhappy because they’ve not played or sat on the bench. That’s part of football, but it adds more competition and high-quality training where the lads are covering similar distances to what they do in a game. That’s a credit to the players and the coaching staff here putting on those sessions."
It has now been reported by O Jogo, as cited by Sport Witness, that Fernandes’s agent Pinho will prove key in United's seeking to add another defender to their ranks with Maguire likely to leave in the summer window.
Inacio, 21, has clocked up 115 first-team appearances for the Lisbon giants and is highly regarded at the club. Sporting have a proud tradition of producing young talents before selling off at significant prices: including Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Nani to United in previous years.
United will prioritise signing a central striker and a goalkeeper this summer but further reinforcements in defence are also anticipated. Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong is a prime target for Ten Hag.