According to this report Arsene Wenger is looking to usurp Everton and clinch the signing of this impressive midfield man.

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Joao Moutinho’s continuation at Sporting remains very much in the balance.

It has emerged over the last 24 hours that Everton still have the Portugal midfielder as their number one target, but their pretensions to take him to Goodison Park may be scuppered by Premiership rivals Arsenal.

It is well documented that Everton boss David Moyes is desperate to contract the 21-year-old, with an initial 15m euro bid already having been rejected by the Lisbon club. Moutinho has a 25m euro buyout clause, and the club insists their captain will not be sold for any less.

The Toffees are thought to be unwilling to pay that price, especially as the proposed transfer of Andy Johnson to Fulham for a hefty fee appears to have broken down. And fellow Premier League team Arsenal are now reported to be lining up a deal to buy Moutinho from under Everton’s noses. (Portugoal.com)

David Moyes has been chasing Moutinho for some time and a deal seemed on the cards a couple of weeks ago but now the Merseyside club are looking like they might suffer some more summer transfer misery. Everton have not had a good time of it trying to add new talent to their squad and if Arsenal really do want the Sporting captain then it seems highly likely he would opt for a place at the Champions League table. Moutinho is an adaptable midfielder and one of the hottest prospects in the Portuguese game. Made captain of Sporting at just 19 he has gone from strength to strength and looks more than able to make the step up to the Premier League. Clearly Arsene has been linked with a raft of midfielders to make up for the loss of the likes of Flamini and Silva and Moutinho looks like a good solution to some of those departing players. However the price does seem a little steep and if the Lisbon club doesn’t re-adjust that figure it could be that the 21 year old ends up going nowhere for the time being. Do Arsenal fans think that this signing would help fill the void left by the multiple summer exits?

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