Arsenal and Manchester United have been given a boost in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, as his manager has revealed he could leave in January.
Sporting Lisbon manager Marco Silva has admitted they will listen to offers in January for their prize asset. Signing Carvalho would fill a hole in the Arsenal squad, especially with Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta running out of contract at the end of the season.
Silva was speaking to press before Sporting Lisbon played Chelsea on Wednesday night: “William is a target for English teams, but I want him to play his game,” Silva said.
Earlier in the month we told you how Arsenal had been handed a boost in their pursuit of Carvalho. This was because Sporting Lisbon managed to gain full ownership rights of the Portuguese midfielder. This means Arsenal have a clearer route to purchasing the player, and it is believed ownership rights played a part in a deal not happening in the summer.
His manager was slightly critical of his performance this season, perhaps an indication of their willingness to sell him.
“He’s not playing at the same level as last season because last season he was a surprise, but he’s improving. William has many offers. Let’s wait till January.”
There is no doubt that if an appropriate offer arrived, Lisbon would be willing to sell.
Arsene Wenger has previously suggested his team are still lacking a physical presence in midfield and signing Carvalho would help solve that issue. Let’s hope Wenger has kept a close eye on the situation and is ready to make a move in January.
I think Carvalho would need some time to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, but I do think he has the attributes necessary to sit alongside someone like Aaron Ramsey at the base of our midfield. For a fee of £25million or less, I would love to see us sign the Portuguese midfielder.