The first approach came at the end of June, just days after Gonçalo Ramos’ arrival was completed. There were then several contacts over the following two months, before a final push around August 30-31 with a €40 million offer, initially accepted by Sporting Lisbon on the condition that they could find a suitable replacement within 24 hours.
That mission failed, and the deal therefore fell through at the last minute. Fell through, but not abandoned. In fact, it could be described as postponed.
Milan have not stopped thinking about Gonçalo Inácio, the 25-year-old centre-back and Sporting captain. Promoted to the first team during the 2020-21 season, he went on to become a key player for the club under Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach, who also shares the same agency, AS1, with Inácio, immediately identified his former player as a potential reinforcement for Milan.
The transfer market then developed differently and other priorities were identified. In defence, for example, Milan initially focused on Mario Gila, who was considered ideal for the right-sided centre-back role in a back three, as pointed out via Tuttosport in this morning's print edition.
As the weeks passed and pre-season began, Amorim, Cardinale and the club's directors felt the defence could remain as it was. However, after the final friendlies and the first two official matches of the season, Milan looked to complete the squad with another major defensive signing.
Following Cardinale's transfer policy of either signing a big-name player or nobody, Milan therefore returned strongly for Inácio, but, as the outcome of the negotiations showed, they did so too late.
Until December, Amorim will have to make do with the players already available to him: De Winter, who has so far always started at the centre of the back three, and Gabbia, who has been held back by an injury. Clearly, however, Gabbia is not the profile most suited to the former Manchester United coach, having played just 17 minutes in total against Torino and Venezia, while remaining on the bench against Benfica, Lazio and Lecce.
During his more than four years working with Amorim at Sporting, Inácio particularly impressed as a left-sided centre-back. However, thanks to his technical ability, the Almada-born defender, who was called up by new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus, can also operate as the central leader of the defence. Jesus, however, did not include him in the squad for yesterday's Nations League opener against Wales.
Inácio could also, when needed, occasionally provide cover for Pavlovic on the left.
As reported, Milan have not stopped keeping in contact with Inácio and his entourage, and it is believed they will return to the charge towards the end of 2026 in an attempt to complete the deal immediately and make the player available to Amorim for the first matches of the new year.
The Rossoneri also have a clear idea of the financial terms of the operation. If Sporting accepted €40 million at the end of August, that is where Milan will have to start again, although the January transfer window is usually more complicated and the Portuguese club could ask for more.
Apart from one match spent on the bench against Alverca on August 22, when there appeared to be possible transfer developments, not only with Milan, Inácio has always started, both in the league, where he has made six appearances and scored once against Arouca in the final match before the international break, and in the Champions League, including the 3-1 win over Galatasaray.
Therefore, to prise him away from his club, where he is also captain, Milan will need to make a convincing offer.
As shown this summer by the departures of Hjulmand (Atlético Madrid), Diomande (Nottingham Forest), Quenda (Chelsea), Trincão (Al-Ahli) and Pedro Gonçalves (Fiorentina, on loan with a purchase option/obligation), Sporting have no problem selling their key players. However, they want to receive the right price at the right time.
For this reason, Milan will try again towards the end of December. Could Inácio be Amorim's Christmas present?
