Arsenal could be losing their transfer target William Carvalho to Manchester United if the Red Devils fail to sign Arturo Vidal from Juventus, in which case they will make a bid for the Sporting Lisbon star, according to a report in Metro.

Louis van Gaal is being patient in his pursuit of Vidal, but is also losing precious time in this potential transfer and United’s opening day loss to Swansea will not have helped his position in the negotiations. The former Netherlands boss is keen on sealing a deal for Vidal, but is keeping a backup option available if the deal fails to materialise. Vidal’s salary demands are steep, and Juventus demanding up to £50 million for the fee.

Carvalho has been on Arsenal’s radar for quite a while, and Arsene Wenger has been a fan of the defensive midfielder. The manager wants to end the vacuum created in the defensive midfield position after Alex Song’s departure to Barcelona.

The 22-year old began his career with Sporting as a youth player and signed for the senior squad in 2011. His talent had been spotted by Europe’s best clubs, and now the Portuguese club have a host of teams wanting Carvalho in their lineup. Carvalho was also part of the 23-man Portugal squad that traveled to Brazil for the World Cup this year. He took part in all matches, before his country were knocked out early on.