Club planning to stonewall Barcelona efforts to sign defender

Barcelona are planning to sign a new central defender next summer, as efforts are made to secure an Inigo Martinez replacement. They hold an interest in numerous players, and one that is near the top of their list is Goncalo Inacio.

Barcelona have been interested in Inacio for a while, but recently, he has gained more traction as a possible signing for next summer. There is a belief that he can be signed for under his €60m release clause, given that he has less than two years remaining on his Sporting CP contract, although that situation could soon change.

Sporting are determined to keep Inacio, which is why they will be making efforts to agree a new contract with him. As per A Bola (via Sport), plans are in place for a three-year extension to be offered, and in this, his release clause would also be increased to €80m.

It is likely that Barcelona will not be able to afford spending big money on a new centre-back, given that they will also be in need of a Robert Lewandowski replacement. A deal for Inacio would be possible if he does not renew, but if he does, that would almost certain spell the end of the Catalans’ interest for the time being.

Barcelona have lower cost options available to them

A new left-sided central defender is definitely needed, as the first two months of the season has shown, but Barcelona need to be smart with their business. They hold an interest in Marc Guehi, who would be a more viable signing as he will be a free agent next summer, given that he has decided not to sign a new Crystal Palace contract. He would be a very sensible addition, although there will be lots of competition for his signature.