Manchester United are interested in signing Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio this summer with the defender sharing the same agent as Bruno Fernandes.
Both players are represented by Miguel Pinho, who worked on Fernandes transfer to Old Trafford in January 2020 and may now also be able to facilitate another move between the teams.
The Red Devils interest comes as Harry Maguire, who is enduring a tough season after losing his place under Erik ten Hag and is expected to leave the club at the end of the campaign in order to play regular football.
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Maguire has slipped to fifth-choice central defender at the club, with Lisandro Martinez and Varane the preferred partnership while Victor Lindelof is also ahead of the United captain, while Luke Shaw has also been selected in central defence ahead of the England international.
It was reported that Maguire wanted to stay with the club and was determined to win his place back under Erik ten Hag.
When asked about his future in March, he replied: “No. There’s a game every three days and I’m training as hard as I can.
“I’m in a good place mentally and physically, I feel good. The training sessions are really intense, especially the day after a game.
“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 was reported by O Jogo, as cited by Sport Witness, that Fernandes’s agent Pinho will be key in United’s seeking to add another defender to their team with Maguire likely to leave in the summer.
Inacio has made 115 first-team appearances for Sporting and is highly regarded at the club.
United will prioritise signing a striker and a goalkeeper this summer but more reinforcements in defence are also anticipated. Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong is also a target for Ten Hag.
