Hansi Flick reportedly wants Barcelona to sign Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio in January after the defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday.
According to Spanish source Fichajes, Flick has decided that his centre-back options simply must be improved and has ‘demanded’ that Barcelona sporting director Deco wins the race for Inacio. The Portugal defender has been on Barca’s radar for over a year, and Flick now wants Deco to accelerate talks over such a move.
Flick in particular wants a reliable left-sided centre-half and Inacio’s classy performances for Sporting have made him the standout candidate.
Goncalo Inacio to Barcelona: All the details
Inacio is a ‘priority target’ for Barca pair Flick and Deco
Barca could make a bid as soon as the January window opens
Sporting will demand at least €45million (£39m / $52.5m) to sell
Fichajes add that Nottingham Forest star Murillo and RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba are also on Barca’s defensive shortlist. But Flick is pursuing experience and Inacio can offer exactly that, having played 18 times for Portugal and helped Sporting to win three Primeira Liga titles.
Plus, Murillo and Lukeba will both cost €60m (£52.5m / $70m) or more, making Inacio a far more achievable option.
The report claims that Deco has already held talks with Inacio’s agent to explain how the 24-year-old can quickly become an important star for Barca.
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Barca plot route to Inacio signing
While Inacio is available for less than Murillo or Lukeba, there remains uncertainty over how Barca would meet his €45m price tag.
The Blaugrana may have to sell players such as Ronald Araujo and Marc Casado to help fund a move for him.
It is true that Fichajes is not the most reliable outlet in Spain, so this report must therefore be taken with a pinch of salt. Although, various newspapers in Spain have reported on Barca’s interest in Inacio, so there could be an element of truth to it.
Inacio is thought to be among the main contenders to move to Catalonia and improve Barca’s backline.
The main reason Barca have been linked with a defensive addition is their fragility during the 2-1 loss in Madrid at the weekend.
Observers were perplexed by Flick’s decision to continue playing such a high line against the lightning-fast Kylian Mbappe. That tactic proved costly as Mbappe raced in behind centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia to open the scoring for Madrid in the 22nd minute.
Will Liverpool or Barca get Guehi?
Barca are reportedly battling Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the chase for Guehi, who will leave Palace on a free transfer next summer.
But with Barca leaning towards Inacio – supposedly at the request of Flick – Liverpool have a much better chance of snaring Guehi.
Liverpool are leading the chase for Guehi, having already agreed personal terms with him over the summer, though that could be affected by their league position.
The Reds previously convinced Guehi to move to Anfield in a £35m (€40m / $47m) deal, only for it to collapse at the last minute when Palace refused to sell.
Liverpool centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been questioned in recent months, so Guehi would be a perfect and timely addition.