Heralded as one of the best young midfielders currently, 22-year-old Portuguese international William Carvalho has already attracted interest from both the Premier League and Liga BBVA, which are currently seen by many as the two best leagues in the world.
Arsenal had a reported bid of £21million pounds rejected by the Portuguese side in August, with the transfer deadline looming and Sporting holding firm that they wanted more money for a player whose market value had raised to around £30million pounds. Meanwhile, Manchester United were heavily linked with him throughout last season and it was suggested that scouts were sent out to go and look him play.
Carvalho admitted after the window had closed that he did not want to leave Sporting at that immediate time, but has since stated that it is "only a matter of time" before he joins either the Premier League or Liga BBVA.
His development has hit a point where he has to decide whether or not to stay at Sporting and continue playing whilst ignoring speculation over his future, or move elsewhere in search for better opportunities. Many have suggested that although he is a good player, his performances are not as good as they were in the 2013-14 campaign, and that is indirectly caused by the constant transfer rumours.
And manager Marco Silva had this to say, to reporters: "William is a target for English teams, but I want him to play his game. He's not playing at the same level as last season because last season was a surprise, but he's improving. William has many offers, let's wait until January."