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According to a report in the Mirror, Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho. The 21-year-old has been a regular in the Sporting team so far this season, starting all but one of his side's league games; as well as making his debut for the Portuguese national team last year.
The Mirror are reporting that David Moyes has sent scouts to watch Carvalho eight times, and suggest he's willing to spend big to land the Angolan-born midfielder. Sporting have reportedly lined up Estoril's Gonçalo Santos as Carvalho's replacement, and thus are willing to let him depart.
His buy-out clause apparently stands at a mammoth £37.5 million, and it's hard to see United splashing that on an unproven youngster when as significant a fee could go some way towards landing a ready-made star. However, if Sporting are willing to sell for below the clause, this deal would look much more likely.