Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, is looking to complete an unexpected deal to bolster the Catalan side’s defence this summer.
According to the Spanish newspaper “Sport”, Deco is planning to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Gonçalo Inácio, at a time when the transfer market’s attention is fixed on signing an out-and-out striker.
Rui Borges left his left-sided defender on the bench for the third round of the Portuguese league against Alverca. Many read the coach’s decision as clearing the way for a possible exit.
Speculation in recent days has pointed towards a move to Milan, where the presence of Rúben Amorim, the coach who helped drive the 24-year-old’s rise to prominence, only strengthened that option.
The Portuguese press, though, has not ruled out Barcelona as the club chasing him, and the television channel “Nau Canal” went further, claiming the deal may be imminent.
Inácio’s contract carries a release clause worth 60 million euros. Barcelona can afford it, even if Lisbon would rather not sell after already losing Hjulmand to Atlético Madrid and Diomande to Nottingham Forest this summer.
Benching the club captain in that last match may still hint at a shift in the Portuguese side’s plans.
“Sport” reported that Deco was in Lisbon this week for reasons that remain unclear. His name was initially linked with the Colombian Luis Suárez, but Barcelona are not considering signing the Lisbon striker.
The strategy fits Barcelona’s wider aim of adding another left-footed defender amid the uncertainty over Baldé’s future. Signing Inácio would free Gerard Martín to play at left-back and compete with João Cancelo for the role.
At 24, the Lisbon captain also brings real experience and quality, and Roberto Martínez has called him up to represent Portugal at the 2026 World Cup.
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