Why William Carvalho would offer Leicester City more strength in the middle

According to Portuguese media outlet A Bola (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City have made contact with Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho.

However, the report also suggests that Betis have set a €20m asking price for the Portuguese man. Also, 25% of the money would go to Carvalho’s former club Sporting Lisbon.

Defensive midfielder Carvalho moved from Portuguese outfit Lisbon in the summer of 2018. It did not take him much time to adjust to the new surroundings in Spain as he went on play a total of 43 matches in his maiden season for Betis.

He also proved his worth within the side by chipping in with five assists in the league. However, it was a rather unlucky season for the Portuguese midfielder this time as he managed just nine league appearances altogether due to a muscle injury.

27-year-old Carvalho has been a regular in all the sides he has played since his senior debut. He was a consistent first-team player during his days at Sporting, with whom he spent six years.

Meanwhile, Leicester City are on the lookout for new players as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his squad ahead of the upcoming season. The Foxes have fared pretty well this season, with the club lying third in the league, behind leaders Liverpool and second-placed Manchester City.

Every department seems to have clicked well for Rodgers’ side as Leicester have managed to emerge as one of the top three clubs in England this season. They have been excellent in both the attack and the defence, which has seen their performances soar high this season.

One of the reasons for their impressive displays has been the good form of their defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi. The youngster has been a revelation this season and has been crucial to the Foxes’ success under Rodgers.

However, the side lacks an established and consistent player in that role despite having three other defensive midfielders in their ranks. One of them – Hamza Choudhury is still young and lacks experience while the other two – Daniel Amartey and Nampalys Mendy have fallen out of favour with Rodgers.

Hence, it is no big surprise the Foxes are eyeing someone like Carvalho, who is a Euro Cup winner with Portugal in 2016. He was also a part of the Portuguese side that recently won the inaugural edition of the Nations League, defeating Holland in the final.

The experienced Carvalho’s arrival would, by all means, add more strength to a Leicester midfield that looks well set and drilled.

Moreover, he could give young Ndidi more competition for a starting role and also offer Rodgers a new option in the middle.

Read more:

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• Why Leicester must make a move for Club Brugge’s Emmanuel Dennis
• Why Leicester should make a move for Solomon Kvirkvelia this summer

Verdict

Roping in an established star like Carvalho will definitely strengthen Leicester’s midfield next season, thereby helping them improve their performance. Moreover, his arrival would offer Rodgers plenty of options to choose depending on the team’s requirement.