Premier League side Arsenal are planning to make a move for Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho, as per a report by Calciomercato.
This is not the first time the Gunners have been linked with the 29-year-old as Arsene Wenger had once tried to sign him during the summer of 2017.
At that time, he was playing for Sporting CP and had just returned from a successful Euro campaign so it made sense for Wenger to make a move for him.
He has now entered the final 18 months of his contract with Betis and maybe this is why Arsenal want to bring him on board during the January transfer window.
Who is William Carvalho and what will he bring to Arsenal?
William Carvalho is primarily a defensive midfielder meaning Mikel Arteta is viewing him as the long-term replacement for Granit Xhaka.
The Gunners have already signed Lokonga during the summer but the youngster will take some time before he can develop into a mature player. And maybe this is why the manager wants to bring in Carvalho.
The 29-year-old has been with Real Betis since 2018 but he’s slowly falling down the pecking order as last season he started in only 12 games in the La Liga. This time around he’s started in five league games and has also provided one assist.
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In all fairness, he’s not a major upgrade to Granit Xhaka so we don’t understand why Arsenal are interested in him, especially since they can nurture Albert Lokonga. Xhaka should be back from injury in a few weeks and there’s no way William Carvalho will get into the first XI ahead of the Swiss or Thomas Partey.
Should Arsenal spend money on William Carvalho?
As per some reports, William Carvalho has a release clause of £100 million but his current market value is only £13.5 million.
And since he has around 18 months left on his contract, the Gunners should be able to sign him for cheap.
If Carvalho is ready to be a benchwarmer at the Emirates then it makes sense for Arsenal to spend a few million on him. But if Real Betis are quoting an absurd fee then the Gunners should back out asap.
Mikel Arteta is trying really hard to clear all the deadwood from the first-team squad so it makes no sense to spend money on another potential fringe player.
