According to a recent report by AS, Tottenham Hotspur have identified Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho as a summer target. The same source has also stated that the Spanish outfit are eager to cash in on the Portuguese midfielder so that they can raise funds for new players and also reduce their wage bill significantly by offloading his salary. It is believed that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is showing interest in providing Carvalho with an escape route by acquiring his services during the summer transfer period (via AS).
Carvalho’s Injury-Ridden Spell At The Estadio Benito Villamarín This Season
The Portuguese midfield powerhouse has endured a frustrating season in the La Liga as he has missed several matches due to a serious muscle injury. He only made nine appearances for Betis this term but had a poor disciplinary record during that time. The Luanda-born talent has picked up four yellow cards and one red card in 708 minutes of league football which highlight his growing frustrations in Spain.
Carvalho has struggled to perform at a high level whenever he has featured for the La Liga side this season after averaging 0.4 tackles, 0.4 interceptions, 0.9 clearances, 0.6 shots, 0.6 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Spanish top-flight so far (stats via whoscored). His stats indicate his lack of consistency which might be because of his poor run with injuries.
The 28-year-old is vastly experienced at the international stage after representing the Portuguese national team in 59 matches while netting four goals for his country thus far. If he can overcome his recent injury setbacks and rediscover his old form in the upcoming campaign, then he should have a good chance of being named in Fernando Santos’ squad for next year’s UEFA European Championship finals.
What Will The Portugal International Bring To The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
When fit and firing on all cylinders, Carvalho can be a dominant presence at the centre of the park as he can use his incredible strength and tireless work ethic to overpower the opposition. He excels at making driving runs with the ball from midfield and is not shy of getting stuck in with a few tackles to earn possession back for his team.
The Portuguese midfield enforcer has a good football IQ that allows him to read the danger quickly and make some vital last-ditch clearances at the back. However, there is no hiding from the fact that his recent form has been poor, so it is quite uncertain whether he will be able to come back stronger than ever in the coming seasons.
Carvalho is also an accurate ball-distributor as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 88% in the La Liga this season (stats via whoscored). Jose Mourinho needs to add more bite and steel to his midfield if he intends to build a team capable of challenging Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title. Despite his poor injury record, Carvalho fits the bill perfectly as he will add a lot of power and quality to the Tottenham first-team.
Mourinho might also be the perfect man to get the best out of his countryman as he will be able to help instil some much-needed confidence which could help the Portuguese midfielder find some form next season. Hence, it makes sense for Spurs to orchestrate a move to bring the Betis outcast to North London ahead of the new campaign.
