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Arsenal ready to pay £20m to land Sporting Lisbon star William Carvalho in January
ARSENE WENGER is ready to meet Sporting Lisbon's £20m asking price to bring William Carvalho to the Emirates in January.
William Carvalho Player Profile
The Gunners held talks with Sporting over a move for Carvalho during the summer but failed to agree a fee.
Chelsea and Manchester United have also been heavily linked with moves for Carvalho who impressed for Portugal during the World Cup in Brazil.
But Wenger's need for a new defender and a defensive midfielder next month is well-documented.
And Carvalho has the massive advantage of being versatile enough to play both positions.
William Carvalho could be on his way to Arsenal
William has many offers. Let's wait till January.
Reports suggest that Sporting - who have previously said that Carvalho will not be sold unless his buy-out clause is triggered - have had a change of heart after being knocked out of the Champions League.
The player's agent Marco Silva said recently: "William is a target for English teams, but I want him to play his game.
"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."
It now remains to be seen whether Wenger considers Carvalho as the player he wants to strengthen both positions in his squad or whether the French tactician is also looking for further reinforcements for the second half of the season.
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