Leicester City Eye Move for Real Betis Midfielder William Carvalho This Summer
By Robbie Walls
Leicester City have been linked with Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho, as the Foxes look to add strength in-depth to their midfield this summer.
The Portuguese midfielder joined Betis in 2018 after cancelling his contract at the Lisbon side due to an incident at the training ground in which the first team squad were attacked by fans.
While the defensive rock may have left Portugal on a free transfer - as other notable figures such as Rui Patricio also did at the same time - Sporting have reportedly included a 25% sell on clause as part of the deal that took him to Spain.
As per a report from Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via SportWitness), Carvalho is currently valued at €16m, and has recently been linked with the likes of Monaco and Inter - as well as the Foxes.
If the defensive midfielder were to depart Betis this summer, it would generate €4m for Sporting - a fair amount for a player who hasn't been at the club for two years.
The 28-year-old had only made nine La Liga appearances before the suspension of the Spanish footballing season due to injury, yet plenty of clubs will be tempted by his cut-price fee.
As for Leicester, the presence of Hamza Choudhury and Wilfred Ndidi as their only defensive midfield options, and with Champions League football likely to congest their fixture list next season, another body in the centre of the park is needed.
As for his current club Betis, the impact of coronavirus will mean there will be a desire to cash in on certain assets, while the pandemic's impact on football will also see transfer valuations of players like Carvalho's be severely affected.