Summary Arsenal are interested in signing Goncalo Inacio, an exciting young defender from Sporting CP, and are reportedly leading the race for his signature. The Gunners are willing to pay €60m to activate Inacio's release clause, making it one of the club's most expensive transfers. Inacio has impressive stats, surpassing Gabriel in key metrics such as progressive carries, progressive passes, shot-creating actions, tackles won, and ball recoveries. Signing him would be a great move for Arsenal.
Despite losing out on the Premier League title in fairly spectacular fashion last season, Arsenal have picked themselves up and kicked on this year to try and right their wrongs.
Mikel Arteta's men currently sit atop the table, one point ahead of second-place Liverpool and five clear of Manchester City in fourth.
While their challenge was built on silky free-flowing attacks last season, the Gunners have developed a steely grit this term and, thanks to players like Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Gabriel, are much harder to break down.
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The board are clearly fans of this style as well, as the latest player linked to the club could become Arsenal's own Rúben Dias and replace Gabriel – Goncalo Inacio.
Arsenal transfer news – Goncalo Inacio
According to reports from Portugal (via TeamTalk), Arsenal are interested in Sporting CP's exciting young defender, and better yet, the Gunners are reportedly convinced that they are now at the front of the queue for his signature.
The report confirms that Premier League rivals Liverpool have been interested in the player for some time now, but that the north Londoners' recent interest has been more concrete and swift.
Arsenal are also said to be willing to pay the 22-year-old's €60m – about £52m – release clause to get this deal done in the January transfer window.
Were the club to go ahead with the deal, it would make the defender the fifth most expensive transfer in their history, but for a player that talent scout Jacek Kulig described as "complete", it could be worth it – especially if he can go on to mirror Dias' career.
Goncalo Inacio could be better than Gabriel and Arsenal's own Dias
Now, comparing the 22-year-old defender to a player who has won practically all there is to win in club football with Manchester City could be setting him up for failure, but there are some notable similarities.
Firstly, both are Portuguese centre-backs who – if the deal happens – join Premier League teams gunning for the title. Second, Dias was 23 years old when he signed for City from Benfica, so just one year Inacio's senior, and finally, both players will join in big-money moves from Lisbon-based sides with a Portuguese title under their belts.
Where would the "accomplished" defender, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, fit in at the Emirates?
Well, with a fee of over £50m hanging over his head and interest from clubs like Liverpool, Inacio will probably only join with the promise of regular game time, and with how immense Saliba has been over the last 18 months, it would probably be Gabriel – who was linked with an exit over summer – who would be forced to make way for the new boy.
The Portuguese international measures up well against the experienced defender, and when it comes to their underlying numbers, he has the Brazilian beat.
Inacio
Gabriel
1.61
0.53
7.74
3.23
87.7
86.6
1.29
0.83
0.89
0.53
6.05
3.53
The pair share a similar level of accuracy in their passing and are pretty close for shot-creating actions, but in every other important metric, the Sporting man is miles ahead.
At the end of the day, if the Gunners really can get this deal done in January, they absolutely should, as even if Inacio can't totally replicate Dias' trajectory, he still looks to be a fantastic defender.