Portuguese newspaper A Bola go big on William Carvalho to Liverpool in their Tuesday edition. Liverpool holding talks with Sporting to sort out Lazar Markovic’s future has, according to A Bola, given the Premier League club an opportunity to open talks to buy Carvalho.
That would be quite opportunistic and not usually the way Jurgen Klopp would go about a big money signing, but it’s what A Bola reckon has happened.
It’s stated that Liverpool ‘are very keen’ to sign the Euro 2016 winner, but Sporting would rather he stayed where he is… although A Bola’s assertions on behalf of the club don’t sound too convincing.
Carvalho was a substitute in the 2-2 draw against Maritimo at the weekend, but remains an important part of Jorge Jesus’ squad, and Sporting’s team going into the future.
A Bola list several other clubs they’ve linked over the past couple of years, and then add: ‘Liverpool now take the first step to try to hire a talented footballer who is a reference figure of the Leões and also of the national team.’
Treading carefully, A Bola make it known that Sporting would be willing to bargain with Liverpool, but they want a minimum of €30m.
Sporting are having a disaster of a season, both on and off the pitch, and currently find themselves fourth in the Portuguese league, ten points behind their Lisbon rivals Benfica.
There’s also the rather pressing issue of a £15m+ debt owed to Doyen, a sport investment group, over the sale of Marcos Rojo to Manchester United. Doyen had funded the majority of the transfer when Sporting bought Rojo from Spartak Moscow, and were contractually entitled to 75% of the resultant transfer fee.
Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho threw a characteristic strop and said the contract was void, refusing to pay Doyen anything more than what the company had shelled out in the first place. Doyen took the case through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and unsurprisingly won, meaning Sporting have to pay up.
They haven’t done so yet and Doyen have made it clear they’ll take whatever legal action is necessary to get the money.
Assuming, and that may be quite a leap of assumption, Klopp interest in William Carvalho is genuine then Liverpool have to play smart with Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho. His own position is under scrutiny, and the president will be eager to come out of any situation looking like Sporting, and perhaps more importantly he, has won.
A tiered deal with bonuses payable if Liverpool qualify for the Champions League, win the Premier League, other trophies, even win the CL during Carvalho’s contract, is perhaps the way to go.
Also bonuses for Carvalho’s personal achievements, appearances, getting in team of the year, could be a wise consideration. Anything that can give Bruno de Carvalho a big headline fee to fluff his feathers about, as well as some cash to sort out Sporting’s finances.
£20m plus a whole series of bonuses wouldn’t be a bad plan for Liverpool.
A Bola point out the will of the player is crucial and say he could be ‘on the way to Liverpool’ if he pushes for the move.
