According to a report in Portugal's O Jogo newspaper, Arsenal are preparing a new bid for Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder William Carvalho, after having an initial bid turned down late last month. Last week it was reported that Sporting had relaxed their demands a bit, and (via what are basically translations of the original report by Metro and Independent) now it looks like Arsenal are preparing to try to meet them.
Metro says Sporting are "resigned" to losing Carvalho, and are lowering the price to ensure they can get the full fee up front. Arsenal's famed cash reserves, it seems like, could make that dream a reality for them.
The web version of O Jogo's report is...limited.
British prepare new proposal with EUR 30 million in cash to convince Sporting to leave out the average by the end of this week.
That's the English translation. Of the entire post. But it looks like they're saying Arsenal would like to have the deal done by week's end, which could mean the return of Transfer Thursdays, if we're all very lucky. Or if we're unlucky, there's nothing to this new report.
O Jogo's Carvalho to Arsenal update today mentions twice it's down to what is being said in England. Some of you thought as much!
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) August 4, 2014
That said, this all folds in very nicely with something Irish Examiner sports editor Tony Leen said on Twitter a few days ago:
Interesting update from Lisbon on the possibility of Carvalho to Arsenal. Received this text: 1/2
— Tony Leen (@tonyleen) August 1, 2014
Inside word is that the gap between Sporting & Arsenal is narrowing. Whether Arsene will go the extra mile....Your guess is as good as mine!
— Tony Leen (@tonyleen) August 1, 2014
So there's quite a bit of smoke billowing around, but since the most reliable source reporting it right now is "the guy who tweeted about Alexis Sanchez before everyone else," I'm still not entirely convinced. But after the shape the rest of this summer has taken, I honestly wouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.