Arsenal reignite interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho

Arsenal have reportedly reignited their interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho ahead of the January transfer window.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger is preparing yet another bid in the upcoming transfer window after the failed attempt at signing the midfielder in the summer.

Carvalho was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League during the summer transfer window, with the Gunners and Manchester United keen on landing his services.

However, the hefty fees demanded by the Portuguese club was the stumbling block that saw the midfielder remain with Sporting for another season.

The Gunners boss is on the market for a defensive player and is a big admirer of the Portuguese international, who can play as a defensive midfielder or at centre-back. The Frenchman is readying yet another move for the midfielder and will offer his current employers a fee of around £20m ($31.1m, €25.4m) when the window opens.

Earlier in the month Sporting manager Marco Silva confirmed that the midfielder had plenty of offers from clubs across Europe, but mainly from England and that a decision on his future will be made in January.

"William is a target for English teams, but I want him to play his game," Silva said.

"He's not playing at the same level as last season because last season he was a surprise, but he's improving. William has many offers. Let's wait till January."

The 22-year-old midfielder himself has spoken of his desire to play in the Premier League or the La Liga, but insisted that he was happy to be playing for his current club.

Wenger has been linked with many a defensive midfielders, apart from Carvalho, as the north London club are also monitoring Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin, who is a key player for the Saints in the current campaign.