What’s the story?
According to the Metro, Arsenal are reportedly lining up a sensational £80m deal for Sporting Lisbon duo William Carvalho and Gelson Martins.
Having already completed the signing of Kolasinac from Schalke last month, Arsenal are also close to completing the signing of Lacazette from Lyon in an attempt to win the Premier League next season.
In case you didn’t know...
Aside from Arsenal, Manchester City are also interested in the duo and are planning to make a higher bid in an attempt to sign them. Having already signed Salah, Liverpool are also currently interested in the Portugal forward Martins, as Klopp is looking to improve his attacking options.
Also read: Premier League 2017/18: 5 signings Arsenal need to make to win the Premier League
The Merseyside club are reportedly lining up a £44m offer for Martins while Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the Sporting Lisbon forward.
The heart of the matter
This is not the first time that Carvalho has been linked with a move to the Premier League. The Portuguese was a constant target of Premier League clubs last summer and in January as well.
Reports from Portuguese paper, A Bola, suggest that Arsenal’s first offer of £70m was rejected by Sporting Lisbon. However, there were reports that Arsenal would submit an improved offer for the duo. According to a Portuguese outlet, the final bid which Arsenal are set to make is around £80m.
Martins still has five years left on his contract and hence Lisbon are under no pressure to sell. The 22-year-old winger made 32 league appearances last season, scoring six goals and assisting 14 in the process.
Also read: £100 million rated striker prefers Manchester United over Chelsea and other transfer news and rumours of the day - 4th July, 2017
On the other hand, Carvalho has three years left on his contract. The 25-year-old defensive midfielder made 43 appearances in all competitions last season and was rated the 16th best player in Liga NOS by Squawka.
What’s next?
It remains to be seen how this deal progresses. With Manchester City and Liverpool both involved, it would not be easy for the Gunners to get their men. Lisbon have, so far, signed seven players in this window and according to reports, a decision will be made by the board on whether to sell the duo soon.
Author’s take
It looks like Arsene Wenger has finally given in to the frustration of the fans and decided to spend big this summer. With the signings of Kolasinac and Lacazette, and assuming they get the Sporting Lisbon duo, Arsenal have made a strong statement for the upcoming season.
