According to A Bola (via SportWitness), Arsenal are hatching up a plan to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio next month.
The Gunners currently have an established central defensive partnership in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. They have started together in every league game since September.
Despite this, A Bola claim that the London heavyweights are looking to spend big on Inacio this winter and they are prepared to trigger the £52 million release clause in his contract.
Top-class defender
Inacio is one of the best young central defenders in the Portuguese top-flight alongside Antonio Silva. He was linked with a Premier League move last summer before signing a new deal. Lisbon managed to increase his release clause with the extension and they are now reluctant to lose him for less than that figure in January.
A Bola claim that Arsenal would have no problem in matching the price but it remains to be seen whether the Gunners can afford him without a high-profile exit, given their Financial Fair Play situation. Jakub Kiwior has been touted to leave Arsenal for a while and Inacio’s arrival could coincide with the Pole heading for an exit.
Even then, Inacio would be a costlier purchase than the former Spezia man and Arsenal would need to spend more to purchase him from Sporting. The 22-year-old would be a fine signing for Arsenal. He is strong with the ball at his feet and has good concentration and likes to make clearances in and around his own box.
The centre-back also has a presence in the air from set-pieces. He has scored 3 times in this campaign and 2 of those came against Sturm Graz in the last group stage game of the Europa League this week. Inacio is a left-footed centre-back and could be seen as a direct competitor to Magalhaes instead of Saliba for a starting spot.
