Playing for 90
Fansided

Arsenal won’t be deterred by new William Carvalho deal

By Rucker Haringey

LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 21: Sporting CP's midfielder William Carvalho in action during the Taca de Portugal match between Sporting CP and SL Benfica at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 21, 2015 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 21: Sporting CP's midfielder William Carvalho in action during the Taca de Portugal match between Sporting CP and SL Benfica at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 21, 2015 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Arsenal transfer target William Carvalho has signed a new contract with Sporting Lisbon, but it won’t change the Gunners’ plans

Arsenal won’t be put off one bit by William Carvalho’s contract extension with current club Sporting Lisbon. All the new deal does is set the summer price for the Gunners to pay.

The Mirror is reporting that Carvalho’s new deal includes a newly increased release clause of somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 million pounds. That won’t be enough to put Arsene Wenger off of the midfielder’s scent. The Gunners will be more than happy to pay that fee if he is indeed Wenger’s primary transfer target.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t smart business by the Portuguese club. It will increase the amount of compensation they receive for their prized asset. What it won’t do, is prevent him for heading to North London this summer.

45 million pounds will seem like the new going rate for young players with world-class potential once the Premier League’s new television contract settles in. Arsenal have never been a franchise short of transfer funds either. If they want Carvalho, they’ll pay that sort of fee without blinking.

The defensive midfield figures to be a real area of focus for Wenger in the transfer market this summer. It’s quite likely that Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta will leave the club which will necessitate the purchase of reinforcements at the very least. It’s a safe bet that Wenger will look to splash the cash for at least one new starter at the crucial position.

More from Arsenal FC

Carvalho’s been linked with Arsenal for what seems like all of his professional career. At just 23 years of age, he’s still a player who’s likely to improve a fair amount before his skills start to decline. The addition of such a young talent in the middle of Arsenal’s formation would be a highly desirable addition this summer.

Carvalho, to his credit, says all the right things about his focus remaining on his current club. Still, it’s important to note that he has previously revealed an affection for both the Premier League, and Arsenal in particular. It’s a safe bet that he’ll be ready to make the move to the Emirates this summer.

Related Story: Arsenal summer transfer targets revealed

Sporting Lisbon can be happy that they’ve signed Carvalho to a new deal because it means they’ll profit more on his departure. It doesn’t change a thing for Arsenal’s summer transfer plans though. If they want the Portuguese starlet, he’ll be a Gunner at season’s end.

Home/Arsenal FC