Reports in Portugal suggest Everton have moved into pole position to sign William Carvalho this summer.

What's the story?

Portuguese outlet Record claimed this morning that Everton were once again hunting Carvalho, and A Bola have now added fuel to the fire by suggesting the Toffees will battle Monaco for his signature.

According to A Bola, Silva wants to reunite with the tough tackling midfielder, after the pair worked together during his time in charge of Sporting CP.

Carvalho, who is expected to star for Portugal at this summer’s World Cup, has been linked with a move to West Ham, but the arrival of Silva could tilt the scales in the Toffees’ favour.

The 26 year-old would be a powerful addition to the Toffee’s lacklustre midfield.

Perfect move to Merseyside?

Carvalho, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, was one of the standout performers in Portugal’s incredible Euro 2016 win, and has been constantly linked with moves to the Premier League ever since.

The giant defensive midfielder gives you exactly what it says on the tin, averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game this season.

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Everton have had their fair share of problems this year, but the overriding weaknesses came from midfield, where only Idrissa Gueye could really claim to have had a decent season, and the Senegalese international doesn’t exactly excel with the ball at his feet.

Carvalho would give the Toffees excellent defensive cover, but also provides more going forward than the current options at Goodison, completing over 60 passes per game this season at an impressive 89 per cent completion rate.

Across 24 league appearances this season, he averages an impressive 4.3 successful long balls per match, and he’s got good feet for a big man too, averaging nearly two successful dribbles per game.

The midfielder is in contract with Sporting CP until 2020, but it is thought a bid in the region of £30m would be enough to secure his services.

So, Everton fans, do you think Silva is right to go after Carvalho? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…