Arsenal's stellar summer window seems set to continue, as a new name has emerged for Mikel Arteta to consider…
What's the latest on Goncalo Inacio to Arsenal?
Having tied up a move for Kai Havertz, and progressing on deals for both Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, it is now Spanish publication AS who are suggesting that Edu's latest transfer exploit will come in the form of Goncalo Inacio.
The Sporting CP centre-back has shone in his homeland of late, with the report detailing that the Gunners hold a serious interest in the 21-year-old titan.
However, his exit will not come cheap, with the Portuguese club expected to demand around €45m (£39m) in one full payment.
How good is Goncalo Inacio?
The team that Arteta is building in north London seems to now be reaching its final form, as a squad littered with players supremely confident in possession and perfectly aligned with his philosophy. William Saliba has taken to English football with ease after a string of loan spells, whilst the acquisition of Oleksandr Zinchenko helped knit the philosophy together perfectly, to outline just two examples.
Now, in Inacio, the Spaniard could add a truly outstanding centre-back into the fold, who has emerged as one of Europe's paramount ball-playing defenders.
In fact, when compared to other centre backs across the continent, he ranks in the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 7% for pass completion and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.
This youngster underpins a new generation of defenders, yet standing at 6 foot 1 boasts the physicality to dominate too. After all, he did maintain 1.4 interceptions and 1.9 clearances per game in the Liga Portugal last term, with the tactical analysis page Premier League Panel describing him as a "leader" with "immense recovery speed" earlier in June.
To pair this excellence with another signing in that mould could underpin Arsenal's back line for the next decade, as Timber closes in on his move to north London.
He also shines in these previously mentioned ball-playing attributes, yet his fleet-footed nature has often seen him progress into midfield as an inverted full-back.
Perhaps with Inacio punching high-quality progressive balls into the Dutchman, he could then exert his creative influences higher up the pitch, with this youthful combination sure to star for the foreseeable future.
After all, the 22-year-old also ranks in the top 1% of defenders in the next eight best leagues (outside of the top five) for progressive passes and carries per 90, as well as the top 4% for progressive passes received per 90.
He accepts the ball so willingly, and then has the quality to turn defence into attack in an instant. The presence of such a technically-gifted asset behind him would facilitate an increased number of opportunities to get on the ball and form a destructive unit.
With versatility in bucketloads and quality that belies their youth, this could be a double swoop that builds the platform for unlimited future success for Edu and Arteta.
