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Manchester United have potentially missed out on another long-term defensive target, as Sporting Lisbon’s Gonçalo Inácio has put pen to paper on a new deal with an expensive release clause.
Fabrizio Romano details that the defender has signed a contract extension with the Portuguese club – a four year deal which includes a €60m release clause.
Gonçalo Inácio has just signed his new deal at Sporting until June 2027 — now completed. 🟢⚪️🇵🇹 #SportingCP
New release clause: €60m. pic.twitter.com/54cPpe0Svc
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2023
United have been long-term admirers of Inácio, with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool also interested in his services. Record, a Portuguese outlet, confirms Old Trafford scouts are admirers of the defender – with good reason.
Inácio is a quintessential modern centre-back, as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is taking it from opposition attackers. A much coveted left-footed defender, he often plays in the LCB slot in Sporting’s three-man defensive unit, but has played on the right at times as well.
Stastically, Inácio ranks in the 73rd and 76th percentile for tackles and interceptions respectively. Solid numbers, but not spectacular. It is on the ball where the Portuguese defender comes alive however.
Compared to centre-backs across Europe, Inácio ranks in the 99th percentile for attempted and progressive passes. He completes 89.7% of these passes, despite how often he is attempting ambitious balls. He also clocks in at the 97th percentile for progressive carries and 95th percentile for successful take-ons.
To top it off, Inácio ranks in the 98th percentile for assists and 99th percentile for Shot-Creating Actions.
These are not great statistics; they are elite ones. And they demonstrate the exact profile Erik ten Hag seeks in his defenders.
Ten Hag sees his defensive unit as the first line of progression in the build up play; the starting point of an attack. The pursuit of Lisandro Martínez last summer highlighted this preference, with the Argentine’s incisive ability on the ball a revelation for United fans who had been forced to endure a different style of defending in previous years.
Luke Shaw‘s transformation back into Shawberto Carlos also provides credence to this notion, with the English fullback’s exquisite technique far more prominent in Ten Hag’s system than previous managers.
Likewise, the Dutchman’s initial preference of Diogo Dalot over Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and the decisive transition from David De Gea to Andre Onana, further reinforce Ten Hag’s obsession with build up play, the type of football Inácio thrives in.
Furthermore, Ten Hag, in the traditional mould of Dutch managers, prefers his LCB to be left-footed. The angles and passing lanes in this position are more natural for a leftie, with Martínez the only left-footed central defender in the squad. Indeed, Ten Hag even relocated Shaw to LCB in his absence, such is the Dutchman’s adamant belief.
With the future of Harry Maguire uncertain at best, and Ten Hag’s preference for a left-footed back-up to Martínez, a move for a centre back with the profile of Inácio would have been ideal.
His pricey new release clause may make this less true, however.
