Man Utd prepared to pay £51m to sign 22yo league winner this month - report

Manchester United could sign Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio by triggering the release clause in his contract, according to A Bola (today’s edition).

The Red Devils are currently in negotiations with Everton over the transfer of Jarrad Branthwaite. They have agreed personal terms with the centre-back, but the fee remains a stumbling block.

United have proposed to pay £35 million plus £8m in easy add-ons for the 21-year-old, but the Toffees are reluctant to accept anything less than £70m for his services.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are readying an improved proposal for the Englishman, but they are quite clear that they won’t be held to ransom in the player’s pursuit.

If the Toffees persist with their stance, the club are open to pursuing alternative targets.

A Bola now claim that Sporting are trying to sell Ousmane Diomande before the end of June to balance their books. They are willing to accept £42-51m for his exit.

However, the club are wary that they could lose the services of Inacio instead. United are one of the teams preparing to trigger his £51m release clause this month.

United could consider Inacio as Branthwaite alternative

The Red Devils consider Branthwaite as the ideal summer target. The 21-year-old has strong defensive attributes and can operate from both central defensive positions despite being left-footed.

However, United are unlikely to pay over the odds for his signature and they are prepared to walk away from negotiations if the Toffees refuse to reduce their valuation.

If that happens, Inacio could emerge as an alternative. The Portuguese has been on the club’s radar for the past couple of years, but there has been no formal approach.

There could be one this summer. Inacio has excelled with his tackling, duel winning ability and clearances. He averaged almost five ball recoveries per appearance last term.

Compared to Branthwaite, the Portuguese is much superior with his distribution. The 22-year-old had a passing accuracy of 89 percent compared to Branthwaite’s average of 80.

The Primeira Liga winner may need some time to adapt unlike Branthwaite, but he would be a quality acquisition. He is also left-footed, but has played on the right side of the back three at Sporting.

We could see United make an offer for him if a deal for Branthwaite does not materialise.

Stats from Sofascore.com