OPINION
With William Carvalho’s proposed move to Real Betis reportedly stalling, Everton need to follow up their interest and sign him now.
As reported by Record, Everton have now joined the race to sign the 26-year-old, along with French side AS Monaco, and are primed to seize the advantage.
They’ve also been given a boost in their pursuit, according to Estadio Deportivo, with the Spanish outlet claiming that the Sporting CP midfielder was in talks to join Real Betis and had until today to give the Spanish side confirmation he would join them, but the Portugal international has of yet failed to do so.
The report reveals that Marco Silva is keen for a reunion with the player that he worked with previously, when he was manager of the Portuguese club in the 2014/15 season.
Carvalho has been in demand for years, as a number of big European clubs have been linked with his signature. That’s because he’s such an effective player at what he does, but he isn’t a flamboyant talent, which might be the reason why no one has signed him up yet.
The 6ft 1in Portuguese midfield colossus made 38 appearances for Sporting CP last season, scoring one goal and providing two assists (TransferMarkt).
He keeps things very simple in midfield and controls the game from deep positions. It sometimes looks as if he’s not doing a lot in terms of overall contribution, but he’s always making an impact on the side by slowing the game down and taking control of the tempo.
His physical stature means that he can dominate the midfield and he can protect the back four by intercepting passes and winning tackles. Which makes him perfect for Silva’s new look Everton side.
They need to take advantage of this reported stall in negotiations and jump in with a higher offer in order to secure his signature. Forget about selling before they buy, this is a player they may never get the chance to sign again, it’s a priority that Everton splash the cash now and sell later.