Man Utd given £70m update as transfer ‘in sights’

The path from Sporting CP to Manchester United has been a well-worn one through the years.

From Cristiano Ronaldo’s £12.24m to Old Trafford during the summer of 2013 to the £47m deal that brought Bruno Fernandes to the red half of Manchester just over three years ago, the Red Devils have enjoyed a productive relationship with one of Portugal’s most high-profile clubs - and it is one they have been tipped to utilise once again this summer.

Portuguese news outlets A Bola and Journal de Noticias (via Sport Witness) have both reported Erik ten Hag is keen to add Sporting’s highly-rated defender Goncalo Inacio to his squad during the summer as he looks to build on the momentum gained during his first season in charge.

The 21-year-old defender earned his first senior cap for Portugal when he played the entire 90 minutes of his side’s 4-0 home win against Liechtenstein last week and has been tipped to be a big part of Roberto Martinez’s plans moving forwards. His form for club and country has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid both credited with an interest in the defender.

Sporting are said to be working on a new contract for Inacio and one that would increase his current release clause to around £70m - meaning United will have to make the defender the biggest sale in Sporting’s history.

United youngster ‘in sights’ of La Liga club

United youngster Victor Musa is reportedly attracting interest from Athletic Bilbao.

The 16-year-old forward has scored six goals and provided one assist for the Red Devils Under-18s side so far this season and is highly rated within the United academy. However, Spanish journalist Luis Calabor Nunez has stated his future could lie with the Basque club, who ‘cannot miss an opportunity’ to sign Musa in the near future.

The holder of a Nigerian and English passport, Musa was born in Tudela, which means he will fall into Athletic’s ‘fundemental requirements’ of signing players born in the Basque region.