Inacio Could Have Pick Of Premier League Clubs

The centre-back is a young man in demand, and it’s thought both Liverpool and Manchester United could be interested in acquiring his services. However, the former could have the advantage in the race.
Inacio, 22, is a Portuguese centre-back who has made it through the famed Sporting CP youth system and is now established as a first-team regular. With 132 senior appearances to his name and counting for Ruben Amorim’s side, his development and performances haven’t gone unnoticed, and the expected Premier League interest has arrived.
Manchester United were thought to be one of Inacio’s keen admirers, with manager Erik ten Hag eager to refresh his backline, but there could be a stumbling block in the form of Lisandro Martinez. United spent big on the Argentinian last summer to acquire his services from Ajax, and he’s crucially established himself as the club's first-choice left-sided centre-back, the position Inacio calls his own.
While bolstering the backline, one that is currently featuring Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans as starters, would improve United’s chances of success, which would also be reflected in the odds offered to those football betting online, it may not be the right move for the club or the player. Ten Hag is seemingly convinced of Martinez’s quality, even though he’s already missed many games through injury, and Inacio won’t want to be his understudy.
This opens the door for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp. The Anfield outfit are desperate to land a high-quality centre-back, and ideally one with youth on his side. Inacio is currently regarded as one of Europe’s top players in this category, if not the best of the bunch. Unlike others, he has a wealth of experience domestically, in Europe, and has already collected caps for Portugal’s senior team.
Virgil van Dijk currently plays as Liverpool’s left-sided centre-back, but he’s comfortable on either side, so Inacio’s arrival wouldn’t necessarily mean he’d be playing second fiddle from the get-go to the Dutchman. Klopp has other centre-backs at his disposal in the form of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, but the German often rotates between the two, which suggests he's not entirely convinced.
Both Van Dijk and Matip are thirty-two years old, with question marks asked of the former, especially this season, about whether he’s still the force of old that saw him talked about as one of the best centre-backs on the planet. Therefore, Inacio could be seen as a long-term replacement who could arrive and play immediately while also being a solution for years to come.
Sporting CP won’t be keen to lose one of their prized assets, especially while they’re sitting pretty at the top of the table. But on the other hand, they could make tens of millions on another player they’ve developed in-house. Whether Liverpool or any other club will reach the price to make a deal happen remains to be seen.