Sporting set to raise first-team release clause by €20 million | OneFootball

Al Ittihad tried to sign Gonçalo Inácio, but Sporting stood firm regarding the center-back and intends to renew the Portuguese defender's contract.

Sporting wants to renew with Gonçalo Inácio, increasing the salary and the release clause for the center-back. The player was highly sought after by Al Ittihad, but the Saudi Arabian transfer window closed and the Portuguese international will remain at Alvalade.

According to information reported by the newspaper A Bola, Inácio delegated the responsibility of negotiations with the Saudis to his agent, Miguel Pinho, who was in Dubai to listen to the offer. The left-footer would have received a substantial salary increase, but the negotiations never even reached the stage of discussing the contract duration.

Sporting played a fundamental role in stopping the transfer, standing firm against Al Ittihad's intentions. The club managed by Laurent Blanc was even willing to go up to 55 million euros, but Frederico Varandas always demanded the 60 million stipulated in Inácio's release clause.

Now, Sporting's plan is to renew Gonçalo Inácio's contract. The player is tied to the Alvalade club until 2027, but the contract will be extended by one or two more seasons, according to the sports daily, which also guarantees that the clause will also increase to 80 million euros.

At the start of the 2025/26 season, Gonçalo Inácio – valued at 45 million euros – is one of the ever-presents in the Sporting squad. The green and white center-back has played 450 minutes in five games, in which he has already provided two assists for goals.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.