Arsenal Step Up Interest In Man Utd Target After Ditching £55m Midfielder Deal

The summer transfer window is now well under way and managers are working hard to strengthen their squads ahead of next season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of Man Utd target William Carvalho.

Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Manchester United target William Carvalho after going cold on a potential £55m deal for Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira, according to the Telegraph.

Arsene Wenger is on the look-out for a dominant midfielder this summer and the North Londoners have been strongly linked with a move for Khedira over the past couple of months.

Reports in July suggested that a £24m fee had been agreed with Real Madrid but the proposed deal then stalled over the German international’s wage demands, with the player understood to be looking for a four-year contract worth £150,000-a-week.

That would make the entire deal worth around £55m and the Telegraph claim Wenger has concerns over committing such an amount to a 27-year-old who has a poor recent injury record. Khedira missed half of last season with a serious knee injury and during his four years at the Bernabeu, he’s missed a total of 68 games through injury, so it’s understandable that the Gunners have reservations about pushing ahead with a deal.

These concerns have led to Wenger looking at potential alternatives and Carvalho has emerged as the most likely candidate with recent reports suggesting Arsenal chiefs are in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon about a potential move.

The Telegraph claim that despite the 22-year-old having a £35m buy-out clause, the Portuguese outfit are willing to cash-in for £24m this summer. That’s the same price as Madrid want for Khedira but Carvalho’s wages would be significantly lower and when you consider he’s five years younger and doesn’t come with the injury concerns, it’s clear to see why he’s an attractive proposition.

One major stumbling block over any potential deal for the Portuguese international is that an investment company own 40% of his economic rights and Sporting are understood to want the entire £24m fee up front rather than in installments to help ease their financial woes.

Reports have suggested that Arsenal are willing to meet those terms, but it remains to be seen whether they follow that up with a firm offer and get a deal agreed for the powerful midfielder.

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The other potential problem for Arsenal is that Manchester United have also been strongly linked with Carvalho this summer and with Louis van Gaal still in the market for another midfielder, the former champions could step up their interest and pose a real threat to the Gunners hopes of taking the player to the Emirates.