Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon are hoping Arsene Wenger revives his interest in 22-year-old defensive midfielder William Carvalho, with the player still courting a move to the Emirates.
“My dream is to play in England,” said Carvalho. “I know some clubs are interested but my agent Jorge [Mendes] is looking after it and I am relaxed.”
Arsenal were in negotiations with Sporting last summer but talks came to a halt after the Gunners refused to budge on their offer for the player, reported to be half of the midfielders £35million release clause. Complexities with the Portuguese internationals third-party ownership – Carvalho was 40% owned by Sporting Portugal Fund – also played a part in Arsenal's reluctance to raise their offer.
Sporting Lisbon have since bought SPF's 40% share of Carvalho and in turn, lowered their price for the player. Although Arsenal would likely still have to increase their offer to secure one of the clubs top prospects.
The Evening Standard report that Arsenal have around £25million to spend during January, and with the Gunners close to securing a deal for Legia Warsaw's Bielik, signing Carvalho would mean one of two things – Sporting accepting a much smaller sum for their player, or Arsenal splashing the cash.
Source: DSG
