According to Portuguese media outlet A Bola, via Sport Witness, West Ham United have been scouting matches in Portugal again, and it could suggest they are ready to reignite their bid to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, rated at £22.5m according to Transfermarkt, this summer.

What's the word, then?

Well, A Bola, via Sport Witness, reports that Irons scouts were in attendance in the clash between Moreirense and Rio Ave at the weekend, as they continue their regular mission of watching teams and players in Portugal.

The continued presence of the east London outfit there – and with manager David Moyes failing to sign the central or defensive midfielder he wanted during the January transfer window – hints that they could be ready to move again for Carvalho in the summer having failed with a bid to bring him to the capital last year.

How has Carvalho done this season?

The 25-year-old has once again been a key player for Sporting, and he has scored one goal and provided a further two assists for them in 29 appearances in all competitions this term.

The Portugal international has even captained the side on a number of occasions, while he effortlessly slipped back into a centre-back role in the 2-1 win against Tondela on Monday night after Jeremy Mathieu had been dismissed in the second half.

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Would West Ham still be interested?

They certainly would be.

If Moyes is looking for a top class player who will sit in front of the defence and protect them, there are a few better options on the market that they can realistically sign better than Carvalho.

The Euro 2016 winner is strong, good on the ball and looks to be ideally suited to the Premier League, and if the Irons could bring him to the London Stadium this summer it would be a huge coup for them.

Will they get him?

Well, the two clubs patched up their differences following a disagreement between the senior figures on each side of the protracted deal last summer, and with just two years remaining on his contract at the end of this season they will hope to be able to sign the Portuguese enforcer for a more reasonable fee than the £36.1m Sporting wanted in August.