Man Utd, Liverpool or Real Madrid? Portuguese wonderkid told who to join

Cameron Smith

19 Nov 2023 14:08 CST
3 min read

Sporting centre-back Goncalo Inacio — © ProShots

Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio is being tracked by almost every elite European club as he gears up for a potential exit next year.

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The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the world’s best young centre-backs in recent years and he has been touted for a move away from Sporting within the next 12 months.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle United have all been linked recently, while several other top teams are also keeping tabs on his progress in the Portuguese top flight.

Inacio has been a regular at Sporting for the past three years, but his time at the club could be set to come to an end in 2024. He did sign a contract extension in August, until 2027, but elite clubs are circling with intent and Sporting may be unable to resist the prospect of a large transfer fee if one arrives.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that interest in Inacio isn’t fictitious and that he is being chased by several elite clubs. In October, the transfer expert admitted: “Man Utd want to sign an important centre-back in 2024 [and] Goncalo Inacio is the new name that I will add for today.

“They are sending their scouts to Portugal not just for Antonio Silva but also for Goncalo Inacio. So, what Man Utd are doing is to keep an eye on some defenders they really appreciate in the scouting department.

“He [Inacio] has been on the list at Newcastle, also at Liverpool for a long time in the recent years.”

Furthermore, Romano also confirmed Real Madrid’s interest in the Portugal international.

However, which club should he join?

Who should Goncalo Inacio sign for?

FootballTransfers’ data analytics partner SciSports has a ‘Career Advice’ tool that analyses a multitude of different factors to determine which club best suits any given player.

For Inacio, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig register as his best option if he is to leave Sporting next year. Castello Lukeba has been linked with an exit, despite only joining in the summer, and Leipzig have a track record of improving centre-backs at a vast rate of knots.