Mikel Arteta will be thrilled with the way his side has played this season, with the dream of lifting the Premier League title looking very achievable.
Arsenal currently sit first in the table with 39 points, one point ahead of Liverpool, having won 12 of their 17 games so far.
The Gunners have conceded the joint fewest number of goals this season, 15, yet they want to strengthen their defence even further by signing an incredible Portuguese centre-back.
Arsenal transfers latest – Goncalo Inacio
According to A Bola via SportsWitness, Arsenal are looking to secure a deal for Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio in 2024 to improve their defensive options.
The 22-year-old is a key player at his club, and he has a current market value of £26m, as per Transfermarkt, but sporting director Edu will have to pay more than that to land his signature.
Sporting, as per the aforementioned report, are demanding a fee in the region of €60m (£52m), his release clause, which is understandable considering the Portuguese club is in the middle of a title charge.
How Goncalo Inacio compares to William Saliba
Goncalo Inacio is a Portugal international who became a starting player for his club Sporting at the age of 19. The defender is now 22 and is one of the key players in Ruben Amorim’s side, featuring 21 times this season already.
The number 25 is a left-footed centre back who thrives as the wide left defender in a back three, and he could be Arteta's left-footed version of a current Gunners superstar if Edu is able to secure a deal for his services in January.
Inacio offers an incredible amount of control to the Sporting side, both in possession and out of possession, which instantly draws comparisons to William Saliba, who brings that to the Arsenal side.
Below is a table that highlights the similarities between the two players, using stats from the last 365 days across the top five men's European leagues.
Passes completed
72.44
69.30
Progressive passes
6.59
3.59
Progressive carries
1.05
0.45
Touches
91.43
82.48
Dribblers tackled
1.05
0.5
As you can see above, the duo is dominant when entering duels and tackling dribblers. With them both at centre back, Arsenal would be able to commit more men forward and gain even more control, with the pairing almost single-handedly able to stop counterattacks. This would benefit the Gunners massively, due to Oleksandr Zinchenko taking on an inverted role and leaving the left-back position vacant at times during overturns of possession.
However, Inacio excels when on the ball and even completely outperforms Saliba, who is regarded as one of the best in the Premier League. It is important to take league context into account, but his statistics are on another level.
Both centre-backs are excellent progressors of the ball, particularly from a passing perspective, but Inacio also offers the ability to carry the ball forward and evade the opposition press. The number of attacking situations Inacio creates is astounding, as reflected by his 1.91 shot-creating actions per 90, which is in the top 1% when compared to other centre-backs in Europe.
Overall, Inacio would have a Saliba-esque impact to the left of Arsenal’s backline, and it is no wonder why Arteta and Edu are so keen on bringing the Portuguese "sensation," as dubbed by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who could rival Gabriel for his position in the side.
