Manchester United are one of several teams expected to bid "at any moment" for Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, according to reports in Portugal.

Who are Manchester United linked with?

The Red Devils will be hard at work this summer as they look to close the gap on Manchester City and Arsenal. Erik ten Hag's first season in charge will surely be seen as a success if they can wrap up top four along with a domestic cup - or potentially two - but the next task is to kick on and mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title.

Jude Bellingham is reportedly a target of potential new owner Sheikh Jassim, while a striker is surely top of the priority list, with links popping up to the likes of Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Tottenham's Harry Kane.

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The manager is clearly keen to bolster the spine of his team, as reports in Portugal now suggest he is also chasing a central defender. According to Record, via Sport Witness, Ten Hag "intends to sign" one new centre-back this year and Sporting's Inacio is "on the list".

The 21 year-old, who currently has a release clause of €45m (£40m), is "one of the most wanted defenders in Europe" due to his ability to play on either side despite being left-footed. Sporting are currently trying to increase his release clause in a new contract, as they fear "a proposal may arrive at any moment" from the Red Devils or another suitor.

Should Man United sign Inacio?

In Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane - despite both currently being out injured - Ten Hag has his first-choice pairing for the forseeable future. However, Varane is now in his thirties and the fact both players are struggling with fitness is a clear indicator of the need for improved squad depth when playing in four competitions.

Inacio, 21, could be the perfect candidate to come in as a back-up option at first, slowly maturing into Varane's replacement. Perhaps what stands out most about the youngster is his elite mentality, which was praised by his former coach Jose Lima:

"The psychological aspect is one of his great strengths, as he shows a lot of calm in any situation, in addition to his technical skills. He manages to show that he is completely calm playing and that is a great asset for him and for the team."

Ranking strongly in all of FBRef's ball-playing metrics for centre-backs, the Portugul international clearly has the coolness to keep a calm head under the bright lights of one of the biggest clubs in world football, and we think he would be an excellent signing for Ten Hag this summer.