A move for the Portuguese star could be back on after this latest development…
Sporting Lisbon have announced that they have acquired the full rights of 13 players of their first-team squad, which could therefore pave the way for stars such as William Carvalho to leave the club.
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There had previously been a dispute over what control the Portuguese club had over members of it’s first team squad who were connected to the organisation Quality Sports Investments.
Jorge Mendes is said to be a figurehead in the organisation who had acquired partial rights of a number of Portuguese and Brazilian stars when they were younger and demanded large payoffs to either relinquish their stakes or sanction transfer deals.
In some cases QSI were even demanding a player be sold simply because a bid had been received by Sporting.
The shady organisation had various stakes in a number of stars, including Carvalho, and it was unclear whether English clubs could therefore purchase him or others over fears they were owned by third parties, something which is prohibited by the Premier League.
However, Sporting have now confirmed that they have acquired the full contractual and ownership rights to these 13 players after a settlement with QSI meaning their ability to has become a whole lot easier.
The news will be welcome to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United who have been linked with the Portuguese William Carvalho over several windows but were seemingly put off by the ownership issue.
United’s on-loan winger, Nani, only recently said that his Sporting teammate was ready for a move to the Premier League.
“He is a great player,” said Nani, via Daily Mirror. “He has a lot of quality.
“I think at the end of this season he will be prepared to play in the Premier League.
“I think if Manchester United are interested it’s a good chance.”