Arsenal bid for defensive midfielder rejected

William Carvalho is hot property, and Sporting aren't selling.

A defensive midfielder would be a great addition for Arsenal, but they've been knocked back in their latest attempt to sign their No. 1 target. According to Duncan Castles, Sporting Portugal have rejected a bid from the Gunners for Portuguese international William Carvalho.

Sporting say that they have rejected an offer from Arsenal for William Carvalho. #AFC #SCP #POR

— Duncan Castles (@DuncanCastles) September 1, 2014

Carvalho had a brilliant season for Sporting last year and put in a decent showing at the World Cup, leading to interest from big clubs in England. But Sporting are in the Champions League this season, so they can afford to keep Carvalho around for another year. A good spell in that competition might lead to Carvalho collecting an even bigger fee as well.

Castles didn't report a fee, but bids for Carvalho have been rumored to be in the region of £25m. He's just 22, so Sporting aren't risking his value plummeting anytime soon. They can afford to wait for a bigger offer.

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