According to reports from The Daily Mail this morning, Real Madrid will launch a bid for William Carvalho if they sell defensive midfielder Asier Illarramendi this summer.
Carvalho has been mooted as a priority target of Europe’s top clubs for some time with Arsenal and Manchester United particularly keen on the Sporting Lisbon enforcer, who measures in at 6 foot 2, weighs in excess of 14 stone and is famed for his simple-yet-effective playbreaking style.
It’s claimed the Gunners have already tabled a £28.5million bid after failing to sign the 23 year-old on deadline day last summer, whilst Red Devils gaffer Louis van Gaal requested weekly reports on his progress last season.
Both, along with Liverpool, are believed to have sent scouts to watch Carvalho in action for Portugal at last month’s U21 European Championship, in which the fully fledged international picked up the Player of the Tournament award.
But according to The Daily Mail, the midfielder’s Premier League suitors now face a new competitor in Real Madrid. They’ll launch a bid if Asier Illarramendi decides to leave the Bernabeu this summer; he’s currently linked with a move to Liverpool.
However, the British newspaper also claim the European powerhouses are reluctant to meet Carvalho’s £32million release clause.