Manchester United Transfer News: Latest William Carvalho, Sergio Ramos Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is weighing up the decision to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho in January as he looks to strengthen his midfield options.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (h/t Bruce Archer of the Express), the Special One is aiming to bring in a holding midfielder to give Paul Pogba more help in the centre and has identified Carvalho as a suitable candidate.

Archer noted that the 24-year-old has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League outfits in recent years after emerging as one of the most promising defensive midfielders in Europe.

The Sporting star was an important figure for Portugal in their successful UEFA Euro 2016 campaign in the summer, as noted by WhoScored.com:

While he's not quite a tireless runner in the manner of Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, Carvalho is a hard worker and capable ball-winner.

He's also more mobile than several of United's current midfield options including Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Bastian Schweinsteiger—though the latter doesn't look likely to get on the pitch again under Mourinho.

Carvalho is good on the ball and carries it forward well, and he's also an accomplished passer. You can see his qualities here:

It's important to remember that Morgan Schneiderlin is still a member of the United squad, too.

The Frenchman has not always convinced since arriving at Old Trafford and has played just five Premier League minutes under Mourinho, but if he can regain his form and force his way back into the team, Carvalho isn't desperately needed.

How Schneiderlin fares between now and January could have a significant impact on whether the club pursue the Portuguese player or not.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Meanwhile, Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t Jack Otway of the Express) reported that United could be set to offer £42 million for Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos.

The Spain international has been with Los Blancos since 2005 and is closing in on 500 appearances for the club.

As well as being an experienced and capable defender, the 30-year-old is known for his goalscoring ability, having bagged 60 goals for Real. The club recently reflected on his exploits:

Ramos is equally well-known for his disciplinary issues:

Nevertheless, the centre-back would add a touch of star quality to United's back four and drive the underperforming Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo even further down the pecking order.

He's an incredibly important figure at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, though, and with Pepe turning 34 before the end of the season, Real can ill afford to lose him.

United will most likely have to look elsewhere, even if they are prepared to spend big money on him.