With the transfer window fast approaching. the Gunners search for a defensive midfielder seems to bearing fruit with reports suggesting that Arsenal are closing in on a summer move for William Carvalho.
The 23 year old has been linked with a move to Arsenal numerous times in the past and his name will be synonymous to many fans. The North London club made several attempts to sign the youngster last summer but couldn’t pull off the move with the Portuguese club standing firm on their valuation.
However reports today suggest that the North London club are already in negotiations and a deal is on the cards with Sporting now ready to sell. Arsenal were unable to conclude the deal last summer as Lisbon were demanding a transfer close to £30 million, but are now ready to sell their prized asset for a lot lesser with reports from Portugal suggesting that a bid of around£21.5 million should be enough to seal the deal.
The Gunners are not the only club in the running for the Portugal international as Liverpool and Manchester United are also keeping a close eye, but the Emirates club are firmly in the driving seat to snap the midfielder. The 23 year old has expressed his liking to the Premier League on more than one occasion and is likely to jump at the chance of moving to England.
Carvalho is a brilliant tackler and also has the posture to physically dominate the opposition. The youngster has a good passing range and will perfectly fit the Gunners fluid attacking system. He is calm and composed and although he is not a box to box player, but will drop when needed and build from the back. He is calm under pressure and has all the assets to succeed in the Premier League.
Coquelin has been brilliant in that position since coming back in December and is one of the prime reasons for Arsenal’s resurgence since the turn of the year. However with Flamini and Arteta well past their primes, we don’t have any one who can come in and provide a reliable option to play alongside or replace the Frenchman.
The primary position that we need to fill up in the summer is the defensive midfield position and I don’t think there is another player available in the market who fits our needs better than Carvalho. The price is well with in our reach, so there’s no point in dill-dallying with the price.
Is Carvalho the defensive midfielder we need? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
