Manchester United Transfer News: William Carvalho, Grigoris Kastanos Rumours

Manchester United have been tipped to bolster their midfield options in the winter transfer window, as they’ve been linked to Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho and Juventus’ Grigoris Kastanos. It’s suggested they may face competition for the latter, though. 

According to Calciomercato, the Red Devils are “very interested” in landing Carvalho and will launch a bid to sign him in January.

The Sporting man has long been considered one of European football’s rising stars, and he added to his glittering reputation with some strong displays at the UEFA European Championship in the summer. He was a key man as Portugal won their first major honour.

Here is a closer look at what Carvalho can offer and why he may be an ideal fit for the Premier League:

In terms of physicality, there aren’t many midfielders who can match the 24-year-old. Carvalho is superb at challenging in the air, a strong runner with the ball at his feet and can use his burly frame to shield possession.

For Sporting, he’s long been a key man and remains with the Lisbon club despite plenty of suggestions in the past he could be on the move. Should United make a serious play for him in January, you sense he could finally say his farewell to the Portuguese side.

After all, he’s a young player who’s performed at the highest level and looks ready to make the next step in his career.

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There are some areas of concern when it comes to Carvalho’s game. For a defensive midfielder, he can occasionally switch off when tracking runners, while his use of the ball can be a little pedestrian and predictable. 

Nonetheless, Mourinho would be an ideal coach to refine these flaws.

Another option for United is said to be Kastanos, although Everton are set to rival the Red Devils for the Cyprus international, according to Calciomercato.

The teenager has got plenty of people talking after some strong performances for the Juventus Primavera side, as well as impressing for his country. Here’s a glimpse at what he can offer:

With the likes of Claudio Marchisio, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira and Stefano Sturaro at Juve, it’s difficult to see the 18-year-old getting many minutes in the first team in the immediate future. With that in mind, a move to United or Everton, where the midfield positions are not quite as stocked, could appeal to Kastanos.

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Juve surely wouldn’t want to lose a player who looks to have a bright future ahead of him. As Bleacher Report’s Gianni Verschueren noted recently, the young Cypriot did not look out of place up against a strong Belgium side:

Although Kastanos has shown enough to suggest he could already make an impact in Serie A, it would be a shame to see his development rushed. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is a smart and experienced coach; given the amount of games the team will play this season, he’ll know when is best for the youngster to be integrated into the setup.

United have some wonderful young players in their squad, and it’s little surprise they’ve been linked with a move for the teenager. However, to make a significant switch in his career at such a young age would be a gamble for Kastanos, especially given just how well he’s progressing in Turin.