Manchester United had scouts watching Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio on Friday night, according to reports in the Portuguese media.

The 21-year-old has been on the club’s radar for a long time and it appears they took another chance to watch him before the domestic season came to a close.

Sporting came out 2-1 winners over Vizela, with Inacio making a big impression by getting on the scoresheet with a header from a corner.

The centre-back is expected to be on the move this summer, mainly due to the fact that he has a €45m (£39m) release clause in his contract.

Other Premier League teams, including Liverpool, have been credited with an interest in Inacio so there are no guarantees that he will end up at Old Trafford at this stage.

United are in the market for a centre-half

With captain Harry Maguire tipped to leave Manchester, the club are thought to be considering potential replacements.

Inacio is one candidate, but the main priority at the moment appears to be Napoli’s Kim Min-jae. The South Korean international also has a release clause but it is believed that it can only be triggered in the first two weeks of July.

United may, therefore, put their interest in Inacio to one side as they look to secure a move for Kim.