Newcastle United have already completed their first summer signing with Sandro Tonali joining the club ahead of next season and now a new update has emerged on the club's next potential transfer target.
Will Newcastle sign Goncalo Inacio?
According to Football Insider, Newcastle remain keen on signing Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio this summer.
As per the report, the Magpies are hoping they can seal the deal for a cut-price fee instead of paying the talented centre-back's €60m (£51m) release clause.
It is claimed that Eddie Howe is keen to bolster key areas of his squad this summer to ensure Newcastle can compete in Europe and it is believed that Inacio is seen as a long-term investment for the club.
How good is Goncalo Inacio?
There is no doubt that Howe will be wanting to strengthen his squad ahead of the club's long-awaited return to Champions League football, and the acquisition of Tonali is a testament to the coach's desire to add some much-needed European experience.
Indeed, the likes of Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have all earned opportunities to play on the elite European stage before their time at St James' Park, however, it would be advantageous to add more experience in key roles.
As a result, the signing of Inacio could not only be a great chance to add another player with Champions League experience but also offers Howe a youthful prospect he can develop and polish to become his next defensive prodigy.
Fabian Schar is now 31 years old and potentially reaching the latter stages of his career, so identifying a worthy successor in his role and a player who can form a successful centre-back partnership with Botman will be a priority for Howe in the not-so-distant future.
As per FBref, Inacio – hailed a "sensation" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the men's next eight leagues for shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, progressive carries, progressive passes, pass completion and assists, demonstrating that he is a confident ball-winner with no trouble providing attacking opportunities to his teammates.
Despite being only 21 years old, the Portuguese youngster has already tallied up 122 appearances for Sporting as a first-team regular and due to his impressive development has more recently earned a spot in his national team, with Roberto Martinez handing his debut to the defender in the UEFA Euro qualifying fixtures back in March 2023.
The left-footed Sporting star boasts several similarities to Botman in his style of play and when comparing their output last season the pair came close in a number of key attributes including aerial duels won (60.2% v 65.2%), tackles won (23 v 24), successful take-ons (85% v 100%) and pass completion (89.6% v 86.5%).
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Howe to bolster his defensive options this summer and bringing in a player like Inacio who has similar qualities to Botman could double up their threatening presence when playing out from the back and ultimately make the side unstoppable in their pursuit for success.
