Jose Mourinho is ready to go head-to-head with Louis van Gaal for the signing of William Carvalho.
Read more Chelsea rumours.
Chelsea are seemingly still in the hunt for a defensive midfielder this summer, with key Manchester United target William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon now emerging as Jose Mourinho’s favoured option, according to reports from the Mirror.
The 22 year-old Sporting Lisbon midfielder is returning home from a disappointing World Cup in which he struggled to force his way into Paulo Bento’s thinking, but the Angola-born player showed enough for his club last season to make him one of the most sought after young players in Europe.
Mourinho would reportedly have to sanction an offer in the region of £30 million to persuade Sporting to part with their most valuable asset, but it could be a price that he is willing to pay to secure Carvalho ahead of Manchester United, who have been linked with a move for the players since before the end of last season.
Despite the fact that manager Louis van Gaal does not officially start his new job until after the World Cup, United have already been active in the transfer market, signing Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw for huge fees.
With Athletic Bilbao midfielder Herrera being more of a box-to-box, attack-minded player, however, there could still be for for the defensively minded Carvalho at Old Trafford.
Both clubs have also been linked with German start Sami Khedira, with the former Stuttgart man representing a cheaper and possibly less risky option in that area of the field.
COMMENTS