West Ham United have been negotiating a deal with Sporting Lisbon for William Carvalho.
West Ham had been confident of landing the midfielder, however a change in demands from Sporting Lisbon have made the deal more complicated.
The Portuguese club and West Ham are apart in their valuations of the powerful midfielder, with Sporting Lisbon hoping that they can get close to £40 million for him.
West Ham are willing to break their transfer record on Carvalho, but do not want to pay the current asking price for the 25-year-old.
As a result, the Hammers are said to be willing to be patient in their bid to land Carvalho, in the hope of getting him for a cheaper price at a later date.
While normally that would be a prudent transfer strategy, it may be that it is a risk that Slaven Bilic simply cannot afford to take this year.
And without Carvalho, West Ham are risking continuing with what looks to be a limited set of options in midfield.
Injury problems have meant that the Hammers have not been able to put out their strongest line-up yet, and Bilic can ill afford more defeats.
Carvalho’s arrival will surely improve West Ham’s chances of winning, as he will add power and drive to their midfield, and although it may be more expensive to bring in the Portuguese international now – that could be a small price to pay for Bilic, with his future reportedly on the line.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
