Arsenal Transfer News: Gelson Martins, William Carvalho, Latest Gunners Rumours

Arsenal are reportedly preparing a £70 million swoop for Sporting CP pair Gelson Martins and William Carvalho.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (h/t Metro's Tom Olver), the Gunners are interested in both players—the former is a winger who has attracted interest from both Liverpool and Manchester United, while the latter is a holding midfielder.

The Merseyside club have shown particular interest in Martins, and the Reds are said to be preparing a £44 million bid.

It would seem unlikely Liverpool are hoping to bring in more attacking reinforcements after capturing Mohamed Salah from AS Roma, but it's not surprising Martins has caught the eye.

The 22-year-old laid on 14 assists for his team-mates in the Primeira Liga last season, as well as scoring six goals.

Martins possesses tremendous pace, and his skill and technique with the ball at his feet is remarkable.

He clearly has an eye for picking out his team-mates, so all that remains is for him to improve his own goal contribution, per Bleacher Report's own Sam Tighe:

As for Carvalho, he has established himself as one of the top talents in Portugal in recent years.

A ball-winning defensive midfielder, the 25-year-old specialises in breaking up opponents' attacks and snuffing out danger, and he uses his impressive athleticism and physicality to achieve that.

He's a good passer, too, and he's been a key player for Portugal since making his debut four years ago, earning 37 senior caps.

Carvalho has also starred for Portugal's U21 side during that time and is in good company when it comes to shining at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, per Squawka Football:

Goal USA's Ives Galarcep and Just Football's Deji Faremi were impressed with him during the FIFA Confederations Cup: 

Both he and Martins could make for strong acquisitions for Arsenal, but Sporting will be reluctant to lose two key players in one go, so landing the duo could be difficult—even £70 million might not be enough.

Arsenal are also in pursuit of AS Monaco winger Thomas Lemar, but the player's father wants him to stay put this summer, according to L'Equipe (h/t Football.London's Tom Marshall-Bailey).

His father believes a move away from Monaco, where Lemar is guaranteed a starting place, could jeopardise his chances of starring for France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.