Arsenal + Man Utd Failed With Last Ditch Bids For £37m-Rated Ace

Arsenal and Manchester United failed with last ditch attempts to try and land Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, according to reports.

Carvalho was one of the most talked about players during the transfer window with top clubs throughout Europe linked with a move for the powerful defensive midfielder after his impressive season with Sporting last year.

Arsenal were one of the front-runners as reports claimed the Gunners had seen a £20m offer rejected in early August, with Sporting understood to be initially holding out for the full value of the players £37m release clause.

Man Utd were also linked with a move for the 22-year-old with Louis van Gaal believed to have identified Carvalho as a potential addition to his new-look side at Old Trafford, and the Dutchman sent scouts to watch the player in action over the weekend against Benfica.

Both Arsenal and United were busy on deadline day wrapping up deals for Danny Welbeck and Radamel Falcao, but the Express claim that the duo also made late bids to try and land Carvalho.

However, neither side were able to agree a deal, even though Sporting are believed to have considerably lowered their asking price during the closing stages of the transfer window.

It remains to be seen whether either club will renew their interest in January or wait until next summer, but both teams could certainly do with a player like Carvalho in their squad.

Arsene Wenger has left fans fuming by his failure to bring in a centre-back or a defensive midfielder this summer, and Carvalho is capable of playing in both positions so would have been an excellent addition for the north Londoners.

Louis van Gaal also concentrated the majority of his efforts on signing attackers this summer and Carvalho could been the dominant midfielder to help compliment the creative talents at Old Trafford this season.

However, it wasn’t to be and Carvalho will now remain in Portugal for the time being, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see his name being linked with a move to England once again when the winter window comes around.