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AC Milan are determined to strengthen their squad in the winter transfer window and have made Gonçalo Inácio their top priority in defence, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The hierarchy, led by owner Gerry Cardinale, is focused on providing Ruben Amorim with a Champions League-calibre squad and avoiding missing out on European football's elite competition for a third consecutive season.
Interest in the 25-year-old Portugal international is nothing new. Gonçalo Inácio was already linked with the Rossoneri last summer, but Sporting CP were unwilling to part ways with their new captain following Morten Hjulmand's departure to Atlético Madrid.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Amorim would warmly welcome a reunion with the left-footed centre-back, whom he handed his senior breakthrough at Alvalade. Together, they featured in 187 matches across five seasons at Sporting and won the league title three times—even though the manager left for Manchester United midway through last season.
Inácio has endured a difficult start to the campaign. He has already scored two own goals—one in the Champions League against Galatasaray and another in a 1-1 league draw at Famalicão. Although he received an international call-up in September, Jorge Jesus left him out of the squad for two fixtures and benched him for two others, favouring Renato Veiga as the left-sided centre-back.
That has not deterred Milan from attempting to convince the defender to make the move to Serie A. Over the summer, the backline was reinforced by Mario Gila and Sankhoun Diawara (a 20-year-old seen as a medium-to-long-term project), but Fikayo Tomori had to be reintegrated—despite not initially being part of Amorim's plans—due to a lack of further defensive signings.
Gonçalo Inácio extended his contract with Sporting until 2030 last December and has a €60 million release clause.
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