Sporting Lisbon could sell Goncalo Inacio for a fee below his €60m (£52m) release clause, with Chelsea among his suitors, according to AS reporter Eduardo Burgos.
Writing on his X account, the journalist confirmed that the clause is “negotiable”, which has sparked interest in the 24-year-old, who has been in impressive form this season.
In addition to Chelsea, it is believed Liverpool and Manchester United are also keeping tabs on Inacio, along with teams in Spain.
The defender will be in action against Arsenal on Wednesday evening as Sporting look to overturn a one-goal deficit from the 1st leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
Chelsea may have second thoughts about pursuing the player
It should be noted that Inacio is left-footed, so he will be in direct competition with Levi Colwill if he were to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
While recruiting a centre-back during the summer transfer window is expected to be a priority, the Blues are more likely to target a partner for Colwill, rather than a rival for his position.
Who could be targeted instead of Inacio?
Even though Inacio is clearly a player of interest to Chelsea’s recruitment team, it would be a surprise if he is top of the club’s shortlist of targets.
The two likeliest candidates appear to be Nottingham Forest’s Murillo and Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke. The former could come onto the market for a relatively low price this summer if his team are relegated. He has been on the London club’s radar for several years.
Van Hecke, meanwhile, is set to leave Brighton due to the fact that he is closing in on the final year of his contract at the Amex. However, reports suggest that the Seagulls will still demand around £50m for the Dutchman.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
