Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Should Be Patient in William Carvalho Approach

Arsenal are reportedly already looking at adding longtime transfer target William Carvalho during the January window, but the Gunners will have to be patient in their approach of his current club, Sporting Lisbon.

The Irish Examiner's Tony Leen, who reportedly has links to Carvalho, knows Sporting are expecting Arsenal to return for their midfield star:

According to the Independent, the Portuguese club will offer Carvalho a new contract with a higher buy-out clause, but the 22-year-old is not expected to sign, with his eyes set on a Premier League adventure.

The saga surrounding Carvalho was long and tiresome, with a multitude of contradicting reports surfacing throughout summer.

The Portuguese media have a bad reputation for hyperbole, something that was on full display in 2014. For instance, as shared by Football Oranje's Michael Bell, they were sure Jordy Clasie would sign with FC Porto:

Speculation was fed by a steady stream of reports regarding transfer fees and asking prices, with the Independent claiming Sporting wanted at least £30 million and the Sunday Times' Duncan Castles suggesting a far lower number:

All we know for certain is this: Sporting, a club with serious financial issues (per Bloomberg's Alex Duff) were unwilling to sell their most prized asset at a discount and are now reportedly doing everything possible to make sure they cash in significantly when he does leave.

The same club sold Marco Rojo to Manchester United during the summer, in another transfer saga that had more twists and turns than fans would have liked. Complicated ownership structures go hand in hand with dealing in Portugal, and Sporting clearly aren't the easiest party to negotiate with.

All of this leaves Arsenal with a bit of a conundrum. Carvalho is insanely talented, and he happens to play a position that is widely regarded as a major need for the Gunners. He will also be ridiculously expensive in January, and the Gunners already wasted plenty of time chasing him in the summer.

Multiple ownership means the selling party (the club) will do whatever they can to squeeze every single penny out of a deal. A potential £30 million transfer fee would only result in an actual £18 million going to the club should they own 60 percent of his rights, for instance.

That's a small return for a midfielder with world-class potential, so you can be sure Sporting won't drop their asking price by a couple of million just to move him.

The Gunners could still use defensive help and have to start looking for a replacement for Mikel Arteta, who is on the wrong side of 30. Given his age, Carvalho would be perfect—he could spend the next few years honing his craft and take over for Arteta once his play starts to decline.

But there are other players out there. Carvalho doesn't have to be the sole target for Arsene Wenger—not when his contract situation is so complicated, and Sporting are proving so difficult to negotiate with.

Let the Portuguese club sort out their own mess. Those financial concerns aren't going anywhere—they'll be forced into a sale soon enough, and that's when the Gunners have to make their move. Here's our offer, Sporting—take it or leave it.

Running after the Lisbon club will only strengthen their resolve. Patience is the key here. If Carvalho is unwilling to sign his new deal, he'll start calling for a transfer soon enough. And Wenger will be ready and waiting.

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