It’s fair to say that without Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United would be completely lost.
The captain is truly the heartbeat of the team, displaying leadership through encouragement and setting an example with his performances.
He’s without doubt been the best signing by the Red Devils since the days of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, and this season, he’s continued to impress with 15 goals and 13 assists.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already potentially looking to repeat United’s Fernandes masterclass this summer.
Man Utd’s search for a new defender
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man United are eyeing a deal to sign Goncalo Inacio.
The Portuguese defender is of interest to plenty of clubs this summer, with both the Red Devils and Liverpool monitoring him.
A centre-back is a position that will see new faces this summer at Old Trafford as they bid to sign at least one.
However, if they’re to acquire the signature of Inacio, it will cost them £51m to activate his release clause.
How Man Utd could repeat their Fernandes masterclass
Man Utd’s relationship with Sporting over the years has enabled them to sign some absolute superstars, including the likes of Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo, and, of course, Fernandes.
Just like United’s number eight, if Inacio were to join the Manchester club, he’d be arriving from Sporting, which is a breeding ground for unbelievable talent.
One of the latest gems to have developed at the Portuguese club is Inacio, who’s been excellent since being introduced into the first team.
The 22-year-old was particularly immense last season, making 49 appearances across all competitions and helping Sporting to 13 Liga Portugal clean sheets.
Goals*
3
0
1
Touches
84.7
47
43.5
Passes completed
66.6
37.4
31.4
Pass accuracy
90%
93%
89%
Tackles
1.2
1.1
0.8
Interceptions
1
0.5
0.7
Balls recovered
4.7
3
3
Duels won
4.4
1.9
2
As you can see, Inacio would be a huge addition to the Man United backline, boasting far superior stats to the first-choice pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
It’s clear that the Portugal international is an extremely technical ace who’s comfortable playing out from the back, even under pressure.
He’s also incredibly strong defensively due to his athleticism and ability to read the game, which ensures that his side sustains control for long spells throughout a game, which United weren't able to do last season, as shown by their 50.5% possession on average – the tenth best in the division.
Furthermore, he’s only missed three matches this season because of injury, which proves that he’s a far more reliable option than most of the United backline, who’ve been hit by an injury crisis.
With the number 25 being a left-footed centre-half – a position filled by Martinez – it would be interesting to see how the pair could combine.
Nonetheless, due to his ability to dominate from both an in-possession and out-of-possession perspective, and even in the final third via set pieces, he could potentially have a similar impact on United as Fernandes had four years ago.
Indeed, the signing of Inacio would, without doubt, elevate the United backline. The "complete" defender, as per football scout Jacek Kulig, possesses immense quality already at 22 years of age, and has the potential to develop into an icon at Old Trafford.
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