United hold two crucial advantages in race for defensive monster with club finally ready to sell and player eyeing exit – report

Manchester United’s long-standing interest in Sporting centre-back Goncalo Ignacio could finally come to fruition in the summer, with the Portuguese club now reportedly open to selling 23-year-old.

According to A Bola, United’s pursuit of the Portuguese defender started over a year ago and ramped up after his former manager, Ruben Amorim, took control at Old Trafford.

Now, a significant change in attitude from the player’s current employers could see him sold in the summer, with the Red Devils right at the front of the queue.

A Bola claim that Sporting has previously “not shown itself willing for the player’s transfer” but “is now open to negotiation”.

Inacio “has seen increasing interest from several clubs in the main European leagues”, so competition for his signature would be intense, but United hold two major trump cards.

Most obviously, the talented centre-back has an existing relationship with Amorim and was a key part of the sensational side which won the title last year.

But he also shares an agent with Bruno Fernandes, who made the switch from Lisbon to Manchester five years ago, and A Bola note that the man who made this happen, Miguel Pinho, “has privileged relations with the Red Devils”.

For these reasons United are considered “one of the strongest candidates to sign him”.

There will certainly be others in the mix, though, and the report explains that German giants Borussia Dortmund enquired about Inacio in the January transfer window but were rebuffed by both club and player.

Since then – and no reason for this is given – there has been a change of heart in both parties.

For Sporting, “there is a willingness to negotiate and the price has been set” at €45m, while Inacio himself is “seeing a future outside Alvalade with different eyes”.

To further boost United’s hopes, A Bola claim that the departure of either Inacio or his centre-back partner Ousmane Diomande is “a likely scenario” in the summer.

And if for some reason negotiations hit a brick wall and the Red Devils are determined to bring him to Old Trafford come what may, they can resort to paying his release clause of €60m.

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