After pulling out of the race to sign Morgan Schneiderlin, Arsenal FC have turned their attention towards Sporting midfielder William Carvalho.
One could have almost sensed that rumours linking William Carvalho to Arsenal were just around the corner. The Portuguese international has long being linked with the Gunners, and Arsene Wenger is an admirer of the midfielder.
The 23-year-old broke into the first team of Sporting back in 2011 and since then his reputation has grown with every passing season. 2013-14 turned out to be his best season for the Portuguese club as he won the Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the year award. After making his debut for the national team in the World Cup qualifier against Sweden, Carvalho went on to represent Portugal in the World Cup as well, in Brazil.
The defensive midfielder had a mixed season with Sporting in 2014-15, as a lot of inconsistency crept into his performances. But he has once again found his form in U-21 European championship, as he produced some sturdy performance in the midfield.
Dailystar and Evening Standard are now reporting that Arsenal have turned their attention towards Carvalho. The Gunners have already completed the signing of Petr Cech from Chelsea, but a defensive midfielder seems high on Wengera s wish list for this summer. The London club were initially linked with Morgan Schneiderlin, but Wenger eventually pulled out of the race.
An intriguing transfer saga also linked them with Arturo Vidal of Juventus, but recent reports suggest that Arsenal have ended their interest in him as well. Arsenal needed a more defensive minded midfielder in this window as currently they dona t have an alternative for Francis Coquelin. Carvalho does fit that bill, but the only concern for Arsenal is Sportinga s high demand.
Arsenal no longer interested in Vidal, according to reports. Carvalho is perhaps the man Wenger wants now. #afc . https://t.co/EFGiG01yhr
a Sam (@samuelJayC) June 30, 2015
Carvalho still had three years left in his current contract with the club and according to ESPN, he has a a 45 million release clause in his contract. Marca are however claiming that Arsenal are negotiating a price close to a 30 million, which still seems a lot high for someone who remains untested in any of the major European leagues.
William Carvalho is main priority for @Arsenal Negotiating 30 mill pounds maximum to close the deal. Difficult times for @valenciacf
a Marcos LA?pez (@marcoslopez) June 30, 2015