Arsenal and Manchester City are reportedly set to go head-to-head to sign William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon in the summer
Italian outlet Sport Mediaset have reported that William Carvalho has become the subject of interest for Arsenal and Manchester City, with both clubs ready to do battle to land the Sporting Lisbon midfielder in the summer transfer window.
Carvalho has been a revelation for Sporting Lisbon ever since he established himself in the club’s senior side in 2013, having progressed through the ranks in the youth setup. Now a fundamental part of club’s first-team setup, he was also influential in Portugal’s triumphant run in Euro 2016.
This season, Carvalho has been integral to Lisbon’s bid to qualify for the Champions League, even as they remain some way off winning the Liga NOS title. The 25-year-old has missed just one league game for the Portuguese giants in the current campaign, playing 41 matches across all competitions.
Carvalho has also chipped in with two goals and four assists despite playing in front of his side’s defence. As he continues to go from strength to strength, he is starting to attract the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
The latest in this line of clubs are Arsenal and Manchester City, with both keen to land a defensive midfielder in the summer. At Arsenal, the inconsistencies in midfield in the absence of Santi Cazorla has often been underpinned as a chief reason for their dismal performances this season.
Francis Coquelin’s career has petered out all of a sudden, and his campaign has been nothing short of disastrous. Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka, too, have blown hot and cold, as a result of which it is believed that Arsene Wenger is keen to land a midfielder in the summer.
Meanwhile, at Manchester City, Fabian Delph’s career has never managed to take off, while Fernando has failed to create much of an impact. Fernandinho has been consistent, but he is on the wrong side of 30, prompting Pep Guardiola to look for long-term options who will be an upgrade on Delph and Fernando.
Carvalho is just the kind of player both the clubs are looking for – someone who can sit in front of the back four and keep things tight with his hard tackling ways. And at 25, he still has his best years ahead of him.
The likes of Chelsea and Liverpool have been previously linked with him and it remains to be seen if they make a move for him. Lisbon, meanwhile, are expected to command a fee of €35 million, and it is a figure that is unlikely to deter either Arsenal or long-time admirers City.
