AC Milan have only postponed the deal. They certainly have not given up on Gonçalo Inácio, the Portuguese defender from Sporting CP, and in January they would like to try again with greater determination.
The Portuguese centre-back was one of the Rossoneri’s biggest transfer targets of the summer, with the first strong reports emerging at the end of June, followed by a concrete attempt during the final 48 hours of the window. Unfortunately for Milan, the move did not go through. It was a matter of timing and delays, as relayed via 'Il Corriere dello Sport' in this morning's print edition.
Sporting CP had accepted the fee Milan had set aside, around €40 million, but before allowing the 25-year-old to leave, they needed to find an equally strong replacement at centre-back. That was where the deal stalled. There was simply not enough time to complete the operation during the final minutes of deadline day.
As a result, Inácio did not join Ruben Amorim's side this summer, but he could do so in January, when the Rossoneri are expected to try once again to convince the Portuguese club with a new financial proposal. Inácio and Amorim are also represented by the same agency, another reason why a transfer that should have already been completed a few weeks ago could be organised well in advance.
A new offer to sign Inácio:
The Rossoneri will once again put around €40 million on the table, a figure the club considers appropriate for the value of the Portugal international.
Amorim believes Inácio has all the technical qualities needed to improve the defence and that he has developed even further since the pair worked together at Sporting. Indeed, it was the Portuguese coach himself who handed Inácio his first-team debut during the 2020-21 season, and the two have a strong relationship built on trust.
From a purely technical perspective, Inácio could represent an upgrade for Milan’s defence. The club had intended to sign another centre-back during the summer and, after the failed attempt to bring in Inácio, had to reintegrate Fikayo Tomori into the squad. The Englishman had been placed outside the project alongside several other players, but Milan needed another defensive option.
In January, the squad will be assessed and refined based on what happens over these four months, but signing a quality defender remains one of the club’s priorities.
AC Milan's other areas:
Over the coming weeks, owner Gerry Cardinale is expected to further strengthen the club’s organisational structure by bringing in a new executive who will work closely with him. Whether it is a sporting director or a Head of Football, the new figure will be tasked with preparing the transfer strategies needed to strengthen Amorim’s squad in January.
Alongside defence, Milan will also look at midfield and the wide areas, particularly on the left, where Estupiñán and Bartesaghi have often struggled. The composition of the midfield will also be assessed.
After all, Amorim himself has repeatedly stressed in press conferences that the team could not be perfect after just one transfer window. That is why Milan are already looking ahead to the January transfer window, when they will look to strengthen at least a couple of areas and arrive at the final months of the season in the best possible shape.
