Sporting star prefers to work with Ruben Amorim amid transfer interest, Man Utd have a backup

As soon as Ruben Amorim was appointed Manchester United manager, the links to players at Sporting were always going to be the easy ones.

That has proven to be the case, with everyone from Viktor Gyokeres to Ousmane Diomande, and Goncalo Inacio to Morten Hjulmand linked to Man Utd.

Ruben Amorim said before he officially arrived at Old Trafford that he won’t even joke about taking Sporting stars with him, but the lure is understandable.

His desire has been reciprocated by one player now, who has made his preference to work under Amorim clear amid interest from elsewhere, while Man United have a backup option for him.

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Ousmane Diomande prefers Man Utd

A centre-back is not among the top priorities for the club this summer, especially due to their precarious financial situation.

However, if a generational prospect makes himself available for a transfer, and a Premier League rival is sniffing around, United may be forced into acting.

Especially if the player would rather play for Amorim than anyone else, a scenario he would have undoubtedly liked for Viktor Gyokeres, too.

Portuguese outlet Correio de Manha reports that Crystal Palace have made concrete steps towards landing Diomande, but the player himself would rather join Man Utd and reunite with Amorim.

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Diomande has a release clause of €80m, but Sporting would be open to offers of around €50m, which could bring United to the table later in the window.

If United communicate their desire for the player, he might hold off for now and delay his decision until the club he wants comes up with a firm offer.

However, as per the report, if Diomande doesn’t join, United have a backup option in place, and he could be a huge bargain too.

Man Utd have Goncalo Inacio as the backup option

If the Diomande deal doesn’t materialise, the report states that United will pivot to his partner in defence, the left-footed centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

Like Diomande, Inacio also played the best football of his career under Amorim, and he has a release clause of €60 million in his contract.

The club believe Inacio can be had for less than his release clause, too, and an overall package could cost less than Diomande’s.

Inacio’s left-footedness also makes him an attractive option since, as it stands, United’s only left-footed options in the defence are Ayden Heaven and the brittle pairing of Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez.

While a deal for neither Diomande nor Inacio is advanced, United are clearly open to opportunities in the market should they present themselves, since both these players would be upgrades on existing options at the club.

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