Newcastle have had an offer valued at €30m (£24m) rejected for Sporting Lisbon talent Goncalo Inacio.
According to Portuguese outlet Desporto, the Lisbon-based giants have swiftly shot down a bid from the Magpies for the 20-year-old defender. Inacio has been a breakout star for Sporting this season, yet the club won’t be tempted into selling him to Newcastle.
As per the report, Inacio has a release clause of €45m (£37m), which would be the only fee Sporting would accept for the 20-year-old centre-back.
Labelled as a ‘phenom’ as per Desporto, Inacio has exploded onto the scene with Sporting this season, with the youngster making the centre-back position his own and becoming a key player for the Portuguese giants.
Centre-back has been a position that Newcastle have so far failed to address, with the Toon close to signing Bruno Guimaraes after the arrivals of Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier.
Indeed, there could be a flurry of late activity in the coming 48 hours which sees Newcastle finally sign a defender. However, one player who won’t be joining the Toon for sure is Inacio, who is set to stay in Portugal with Sporting.
Inacio perfect if Newcastle claim Premier League survival
A breakout star for Sporting in both the domestic league and UEFA Champions League, Inacio has been hailed as part of Portugal’s glistening future and a talent who can go all the way to the top.
Whilst Newcastle could do with a player like the 20-year-old centre-back, the Toon could make a smart decision and reignite their interest in Inacio in the summer if Eddie Howe steers the club away from relegation.
After all, more experience for the defender in both the Primeira Liga and Europe could do Inacio the world of good, and it could tempt Newcastle more into making a move for the youngster, who could lead the Toon backline for years to come.
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