Portugal's midfielder William Carvalho plays the ball during the Nations League football match between France and Portugal, on October 11, 2020 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Leicestershire Live, Leicester have been told the amount they can pay to sign William Carvalho. The Foxes held an interest in the midfielder through the summer but saw a bid of €20million (£17.8million) rejected, with Betis holding out for €30million.
A youth exponent of Sporting Lisbon, William Carvalho made his senior debut for his boyhood club way back in the 2010-11 season. He then went through loan spells at Fatima in the Portuguese third-tier and Cercle Brugge in Belgium as a part of his development before establishing himself in a prominent role at Sporting.
Carvalho went on to accumulate 11 goals and 14 assists in 193 appearances for Sporting Lisbon in all competitions over the course of five full seasons in Portugal. The defensive midfielder was snapped up by Real Betis in the summer of 2018. He has since featured 66 times for the Spanish club in all competitions, scoring twice and supplying 5 assists.
A full international for Portugal since 2013, Carvalho has amassed 63 caps for his nation, featuring at 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups as well as in Euro 2016. He has attracted considerable attention over the years following his impressive displays in Portugal’s triumphant Euro 2016 campaign.
While the interest in Carvalho might have cooled down due to Nampalys Mendy’s strong showings, the club should still strengthen the midfield. They may also have the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury and Daniel Amartey, none of them come close to the quality possessed by Carvalho.
Amartey and Choudhury have hardly featured this season and Ndidi is currently nursing an injury. This makes the signing of Carvalho all the more important. An experienced campaigner in top-flight football, he has close to 200 appearances for Sporting and more than 60 appearances for Betis.
With the club tackling so many tournaments and with no breaks this year, having extra men in the squad always helps. Noted for his towering physicality and ability to shield the backline, Carvalho is predominantly a defensive midfielder by trade but has often showcased the versatility to play in a box-to-box role as well.
That, coupled with his vast experience and impressive exploits, both at the club and international level, makes him an instant upgrade on Mendy, Choudhury, and Amartey.
A potential deal for Carvalho would mean quality cover and competition for Ndidi at Leicester. That’s not to say the Foxes should replace the Nigerian, who is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the PL. But it’s certainly important for the Foxes to have more than one top-quality player in each position if they are to go toe-to-toe with the elite clubs in England.
Suffice to say, Leicester City making a renewed attempt to sign William Carvalho in January would add more quality to their midfield. The Portuguese international still has several years remaining in his prime. That should make him an excellent addition to the Foxes’ ranks.
