An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon gem Goncalo Inacio...

What's the talk?

According to Record, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are plotting a swoop for the Portuguese centre-back this summer.

The report claims that a deal for the 20-year-old is likely to cost a fee in the region of €45m (£38m) when you take add-ons into consideration, with Sporting unwilling to negotiate at any level below that as Ruben Amorim deems him to be indispensable.

Eddie Howe would love him

Newcastle must seal this deal for Inacio, as Magpies head coach Eddie Howe would surely love to have him at St James' Park. The youngster has the talent to make an immediate impact on Tyneside whilst also holding the potential to develop further.

At the age of 20, he still has the majority of his career left ahead of him, so he is a player in whom the club can invest for the long run, potentially making a big profit on him in the future if he can hone his skills over the coming years.

However, Inacio has been able to consistently deliver for Sporting at first-team level as a young gem. Journalist Zach Lowy previously claimed that he is "underrated", and he has been lauded by people who have worked with him in close proximity. 

His former coach José Lima (as quoted by Portuguese outlet RR) also showered the defender with praise, saying: "The psychological aspect is one of his great strengths, as he shows a lot of tranquility in any situation, in addition to his technical skills, in the formation, he could play as a left-back because his dominant foot is his left.

"Although at Sporting, now, he plays on the right side, even though that is not the dominant foot. He has, therefore, evolved and has been more confident with the passing of the games. He is an increasingly stronger player. He has always played with quality."

In the Portuguese top flioght this season, Inacio has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.14 across 26 starts. He has helped his team to keep 13 clean sheets in that time and made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game, showing that he has been a key part of their resolute defence.

Therefore, Howe would surely love to work with the centre-back, as he is a young player with potential who has put himself in a terrific position from which to build the rest of his career. The 20-year-old is already proving that he can perform to a high standard on a regular basis for Sporting, and hopefully he can bring that consistency and quality to the Premier League next season if he joins Newcastle.

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