Arsenal line up delayed swoop for Liverpool, Man Utd defensive target worth over £50m

Arsenal have joined the race to sign Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio, who is already on the radars of Liverpool and Manchester United, according to reports.

Inacio has established himself as a promising player for Sporting, quickly becoming a regular feature in their first team. He has been linked with a move from the Primeira Liga to the Premier League for a while now.

Liverpool and Man Utd have both been listed among his admirers. Now, The Sun has confirmed recent claims that Arsenal can be added to the list too.

Arsenal invested in their defence in the summer to sign Jurrien Timber from Ajax, but he suffered a serious injury early into his spell at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners could have benefitted from more depth in their defence to plug the gap, but have still been able to rely on William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Benjamin White and Jakub Kiwior.

Perhaps with that in mind, the report claims any move for Inacio is more likely to happen in the summer than January, when no major outlays are expected.

But the Portugal international is nevertheless a player Arsenal are monitoring in view of a potential future bid.

Still only 22 years old, he has almost 150 appearances to his name for Sporting at senior level and has featured in almost all of their games this season.

His contract in Lisbon is valid until 2027 and contains a release clause worth around £52m. Sporting would refer back to that price if any of Inacio’s suitors came calling.

Arsenal play waiting game for Inacio

It remains to be seen when Liverpool or Man Utd would have pencilled in a move for Inacio. If they have January in mind, like sources suggest Liverpool could, Arsenal might miss out.

But big deals always seem more likely in the summer and at the price being suggested for Inacio it seems reasonable to imagine him staying with Sporting until the end of the season before a battle ensues for his signature.

As long as they are still happy with what they are seeing from him, Arsenal will likely be involved.

It ties in with rumours that Kiwior is attracting interest from elsewhere, but would be more likely to be sold in the summer than January.

Meanwhile, White is expected to sign a new contract in north London, after Gabriel did in October 2022 and Saliba did in July 2023.