The Gunners spent most of the summer searching for a defensive midfielder, only to come up short on the last day of the transfer window.
The signing of Danny Welbeck seems to have placated Arsenal fans somewhat, but there’s no doubt that the club are seriously short of defensive options. Bringing in a holding midfielder could have been just the ticket.
Just look at The Gunners’ defense: they’re seriously low on numbers. If they pick up a few injuries, or suspensions, their title challenge could well unravel. Just imagine what would happen if they were to lose Laurent Koscielny or Per Mertesacker for a prolonged period of time.
Things aren’t much better in the centre of the park. Both Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini are getting on in years. The Frenchman has also struggled to make an impact this season. He’s been picking up a decent amount of game time, but doesn’t really affect the game in a meaningful way. It’s little wonder that Arsenal are still hunting for more options.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Arsenal are still in the market for Sporting Lisbon’s defensive midfielder, William Carvalho. The source even suggests that The Gunners are hoping to wrap up a deal for the Portuguese ace within a week. Looks like things are moving quickly now that the transfer window has wrapped up, eh?
Carvalho has a £37m release clause written into his Sporting Lisbon contract, but as The Metro note, Arsenal should be able to wrap up a deal for considerably less money. The Portuguese side are ‘desperate to raise funds’ and probably won’t turn Arsene Wenger down should he come in with a reasonable offer.
The Portuguese midfielder certainly looks like a good fit for The Gunners. He’s athletic, energetic, quick along the ground and he loves a tackle. Arsenal haven’t really had a player in this mould since they let Alex Song move to Barcelona. The sooner they can bring him in the better.
I don’t hold out much hope that they’ll agree a deal within a week, but hopefully Arsene Wenger will be able to work his magic somewhere down the line.
What’s your take? Could The Gunners be close to wrapping up a deal for William Carvalho?
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