Milan eyes Gonçalo Inacio in January: the test after Endrick's summer

In the silence of a Milan office, sporting director Gerry Cardinale flips through the pages of the, where the column "Not only Endrick" announces that the red‑black club will return to the market in January to target Gonçalo Inacio. The deal, still being defined, follows the August negotiations that ended without concrete results.

The summer work of Cardinale and Amorim

Milan has declared the intention to continue in January the work started this summer by Gerry Cardinale and Portuguese coach Rubén Amorim. After the August disappointment, the executives want to avoid assessment errors, like last January, when the then‑coach Massimiliano Allegri had requested an experienced central defender and settled for the loan of Niclas Fullkrug.

Profile of Gonçalo Inacio

Gonçalo Inacio, a 2001‑born central defender of Sporting Lisbon, has renewed his contract until 2030 and wears the captain’s armband. The release clause is set at €60 million, but in August he could have left the club for around €40 million, if Sporting had found a suitable replacement.

Milan aim to replicate Nico Paz loan model for Endrick in January

The player is left‑footed, excels in a three‑defender system and can operate as a left wing‑back, a role that Milan has already tried with Pavlovic. His ability to dictate play is his strength, while aerial play and man‑to‑man marking are his weak points.

At the international level, the new head coach of the Portuguese national team, Jorge Jesus, prefers a more cohesive pair of four‑defenders, such as Ruben Dias and Renato Veiga, limiting Inacio’s opportunities in the national side.

Milan want Endrick, but Real insist on a loan without an option to buy

For Milan, securing Inacio represents a response to the need to strengthen the defence and avoid missing out on the Champions League for a third consecutive season. The club also aims to trim the squad, freeing up space for players who fit Amorim’s project.