Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, which will set them back £25m, reports the Daily Star on Sunday.
City are keen to secure a replacement for 34-year-old Yaya Toure, who is expected to leave at the end of the season, with Carvalho seen as the ideal arrival to succeed the Ivorian.
Carvalho’s agent is also Pere Guardiola, the brother of City boss Pep Guardiola, which should ease negotiations.
The Portugal international has long been linked with a Premier League switch, with Arsenal close to securing his services in the past.
However, City are now supposedly close to signing the 24-year-old, who has established himself as a key man for both club and country.
Carvalho looked to have regressed after breaking onto the scene earlier in his career, but is now back to his best with an average of 72.5 passes per game the second best return in Liga NOS this season.
His style of play should appeal to Guardiola, who has implemented a possession based approach following his summer arrival.
For more stats on William Carvalho, click here to view his WhoScored player page
