On Saturday, Portuguese newspaper Record reported that Newcastle United are keen to sign Sporting’s Gonçalo Inácio in the winter market.
Later that day, journalist Pedro Sepulveda explained the Magpies have made a €30m offer for the centre-back, but their proposal was rejected by the Lions.
Today’s edition of O Jogo gives us the background and the efforts made by the Tyneside club to take the 20-year-old away from Lisbon.
Newcastle would be willing to propose an offer of around €30m, but have now ‘backed off’ after learning this figure would not get them the Portugal U21 international.
O Jogo have learned Sporting will close the door on Inácio’s exit in January, unless the Premier League side or any of his other suitors pay the €45m release clause. The report says ‘this does not seem easy’.
Apart from Newcastle, another unnamed English club are interested in Inácio. His current deal runs down in 2025 and Sporting are planning to offer the player a new contract, which would almost certainly see his clause rise.
