Chelsea join William Carvalho pursuit

Premier League holders Chelsea are ready to rivals Europe's best for the services of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho.

The Portugal international has been long linked with a move to the Premier League, with London giants Arsenal keen on his signature.

However, Sporting have been reluctant to offload their star asset, and this has dented the Gunners' pursuit for the talented enforcer.

Metro now claims that the Blues are ready to rival the Gunners and some of Europe's top clubs to land the 22-year-old's signature in the New Year.

Carvalho would have made his dream move to the English top flight over the summer, had it not been for the knee injury he suffered during the Under-21s European Championships.