According to reports from The Metro this afternoon, Manchester United sent scouts to run the rule over William Carvalho last weekend ahead of a potential £22million summer move.
The Portugal international has been on the Old Trafford radar for some time, ever since his return from an impressive loan spell at Cercle Brugge at the beginning of last season.
The 22 year-old defensive midfielder has since become a mainstay in Sporting’s starting Xi, demonstrating his formidable physique – measuring in at 6 foot 2 and weighing in excess of 14 stone – and simple-yet-effective playbreaking style.
And according to The Metro, representatives of the Red Devils saw him action again over the weekend, during a 1-1 draw with Pacos de Ferreira.
Sporting are expected to sell this summer after renegotiating all of their third-party ownership deals, including Carvalho’s, earlier in the season – as reported by The Daily Star in November.
Manchester United are hardly the midfielder’s only suitors, however. Arsenal launched an ill-fated bid for him on summer deadline day, as reported by The Independent.