Arsenal handed fresh hope of signing Portugal midfielder as contract talks stall

Carvalho would provide some much needed stability to Arsenal's midfield

ARSENAL have been given fresh hope of signing long-term transfer target William Carvalho after his contract talks with Sporting stalled.

 

The 23-year-old, who was born in Angola but has 13 caps for Portugal having moved there as a child, has been linked multiple times with the Gunners as they seek a defensively-minded central midfielder.

The move had looked dead in the water as Carvalho enter talks to seal a four-year deal with the Portuguese club, where he has been since joining at the age of 13 in 2005.

But according to Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola, contract negotiations, which have already been drawn out over salary and contract length, have hit yet another stumbling block.

 

The midfielder’s current deal includes a £31million (€45million) minimum release clause, which the club want to push up to £42million (€60million).

And with Sporting unlikely to want to let the midfielder, Arsene Wenger would like have to meet that figure, which would make Carvalho Arsenal’s record signing.

If the two parties are able to agree a figure, the deal is likely to keep Carvalho in Lisbon until 2020, although he did admit in October to ‘always loving’ Arsenal as the former club of Thierry Henry.

 

Carvalho already has 13 caps for his country