Arsenal have had a €25 million bid rejected by Sporting Lisbon for William Carvalho. The Gunners are working on a deal to capture the versatile midfielder in the final fortnight of the transfer window. Arsenal’s pursuit is however complicated by Carvalho’s third-party ownership, Sporting’s €35m valuation and the Gunners need to navigate a tricky Champions League qualifying tie against Besiktas. The Gunners are expected to return with an improved offer for the 22-year-old, although the complex nature of the negotiations means they are likely to go down to the wire.
Sporting are ready to cash in on Carvalho although, according to reports in Portugal, 40 per cent of his rights are owned by investment firm Banco Espirito Santo. The player is also represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, which has added a layer of difficulty to discussions taking place between the parties. Arsene Wenger has sanctioned a formal move for Carvalho as he seeks to further strengthen his squad in the defensive midfield and centre-back positions. Arsenal are also closing in on an €10m deal to sign Olympiakos centre-back Kostas Manolas, and their move for Carvalho is understood to be in addition to the expected capture of the Greece international.
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