Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on William Carvalho and Ederson

Manchester City are reportedly ready to move for Sporting CP midfielder William Carvalho at the end of the season.

Per Record (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness), the player's decision to appoint Pere Guardiola, brother of City manager Pep, as his agent has helped move the transfer closer.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid all admire Carvalho, who has a €45 million (£38 million) release clause, per Record. However, City are said to have the most significant interest, having stepped up their scouting of the 24-year-old.

Carvalho has long been the linchpin of the Sporting midfield and is enjoying another solid campaign for the Lisbon giants. Here is a look at what he can offer:

Physically, there aren't many players who can measure up to Carvalho in midfield battles. The Sporting man's burly anatomy helps him win many duels, whether that be in the air, muscling opponents out of possession or holding on to the ball.

As these WhoScored.com numbers illustrate, the Portugal international is a master at turning the play over for his team in midfield:

City could do with that kind of option. While Guardiola preaches possession-based football, without Fernandinho in the middle of the field, City have looked short of steel at times. Carvalho, a fine distributor of the ball himself, would be capable of adding that.

While he can occasionally shirk a tackle despite his intimidating somatotype, what may concern those scouting Carvalho is his lack of mobility. To excel in midfield tussles in the Premier League, those two traits are vital, especially for defensive-minded players.

City Not Put Off by Ederson Valuation

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According to O Jogo (h/t Sposito), Benfica's €40 million (£34 million) valuation of goalkeeper Ederson will not dampen Manchester City’s enthusiasm to sign the player.

City are one of a number of clubs interested in the impressive stopper, along with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. While there's a €60 million (£51 million) release clause in his contract, the Liga NOS outfit would reportedly accept the aforementioned amount.

Ederson is said to have caught Guardiola's eye when Benfica took on Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last season.

The 23-year-old has been impressing again in Europe's elite competition, somehow keeping Borussia Dortmund at bay on Tuesday and helping his team to a 1-0 win. Per the tournament's official Twitter feed, his display was by no means a one-off, either:

City's goalkeeping situation is a confusing one at the moment, with Claudio Bravo struggling for form following his move to the club from Barcelona in the summer.

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Longtime understudy Willy Caballero is enjoying an extended run as the man between the sticks, although the jury is still out on him, while Joe Hart is on loan at Torino. As a result, it'd be no massive surprise if City were on the lookout for a new No. 1 at the end of the season.

Ederson has showed undoubted promise in all aspects of his goalkeeping, including, crucially for Guardiola, his distribution. If City could get this one done, the Brazilian has the potential to be their goalkeeper for many years to come.