Arsenal considering a move for long-term target William Carvalho to solve the ongoing injury crisis.
The 23-year-old Sporting Lisbon midfielder has long been a target for Arsenal, who are desperate looking for a cover in the midfield.
Santi Cazorla is sidelined for around four months while Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta are both out with knee and calf injuries respectively. Jack Wilshere hasn’t yet recovered from a fractured fibula and Aaron Ramsey only just available again after returning from a groin injury, the problems in central midfield have suddenly become acuter.
Arsene Wenger has few possible targets in mind; the short list even includes injured Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, Lars Bender.
Recent reports have highlighted that talks over a new contract between Sporting Lisbon and Carvalho had hit a stumbling block due to the player’s reluctance to commit his future at Lisbon.
Now according to a report from the Daily Telegraph, the Gunners could start a fresh bid to bring in the young Portuguese, who apparently has a £35million release clause. Although the report claims Carvalho could be available for £25m in January transfer window, if Sporting wants to sell the player in the middle of the season.
Carvalho also earlier in the season revealed how much he admires Arsenal. He said then: “I dream of winning the Primeira Liga here. I prefer not to say too much, but there is a club with which I’ve always been fond of Arsenal.”
The title race in Premier league this season is quite exciting, with the top six sides separated by only six points and Arsene Wenger already knows, the way Arsenal is playing he has a good chance to reclaim the league trophy if he goes for the right decisions in January and overcomes the current injury crisis. The winter transfer window is only a month away now and in that short time Arsenal boss should be doing the permutations and combinations to ensure that he gets the players this Arsenal side needs to push on again for the second half of the season.
However, Arsenal will be well aware that the Portuguese international’s lack of football this season following a fracture in tibia during summer might become a setback for him.