Arsenal are ready to revive their interest in Portugal powerhouse midfielder William Carvalho. If reports are to be believed, the Gunners are looking to go ahead with the purchase of Carvalho after giving up on Arturo Vidal.
Wenger is one of those shrewd managers who know how to spend money – especially when it comes to transfer market. There will be enough naysayers of this theory who detest the ‘hands in pocket’ style of Wenger. But, when Wenger says that he spends money as if he owns every penny – he means every word of it.
So, when Wenger goes shopping for players in the market, you can be sure that he looks for the best value. Agreed – this is something that a section of supporters criticize him for. Playing in a market where prices are driven not by demand or skill but by agents and media, it is difficult to stay in touch with competition if you don’t spend.
That’s exactly what Wenger is trying to change through his purchases of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Again, his theory is that he wouldn’t shy away from big ticket purchases as long as they make football sense.
One such purchase which every supporter is longing for is a defensive midfielder. It is difficult to peek into the plans of Wenger but he could be looking for an ideal player to fit his squad. This is not to say that Carvalho is ideal compared to Vidal. It would be a grave injustice to the potential of Carvalho or the achievements of Vidal if we start comparing both of them.
The Sporting Lisbon midfielder has been doing really well for Portugal in the Under-21 European Championship. The youngster is a huge presence in the midfield and is undoubtedly one of the stars of the tournament. He has covered more ground than any other player in the group stages. This performance is sure to catch the eye of every club in the world.
This is not the first time that Arsenal is linked with the Portugese international. He was on Wenger’s radar in the past but they didn’t follow up with a concrete bid. It is any body’s guess if this time the interest would translate into an official bid.
There are other teams also interested. Manchester United were very strong with their enquiries when David Moyes was the manager but the price tag repelled them. The price tag is said to be around 37 million but his performances in the U21 Euro Championships may increase his transfer fee.
Will Carvalho be able to improve the Gunners? Difficult question to answer but his current performances are worth taking note.
Sridhar