Manchester City round-up: Battle for Sporting’s William Carvalho; Ederson rumours update; trio named in England squad

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Over the past 24 hours, reports in The Sun have suggested that newly-promoted side Newcastle are set to join Manchester City in a race to sign highly-rated Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho.

It has been believed that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has touted the Portuguese maestro as a long-term replacement for Yaya Toure, with his future still uncertain ahead of his contract ending.

Yet, new reports now suggest that Rafael Benitez is hoping for a surprise swoop for the 25-year-old defensive midfielder to help his side retain their Premier League status next year and avoid the drop.

Carvalho – who has played over 100 games for Sporting and was part of the Portugal side that won the European Championship last summer – could cost up to £39 million to lure to England, however.

Fellow Primeira Liga player Ederson, who plays for Sporting’s fierce rivals Benfica, has reportedly been told that the club will cut their asking price for him amidst interest from the Premier League.

The 23-year-old goalkeeper has been in fine form this season, making 34 appearances as Benfica lifted the league title, and it has attracted the interest of both Manchester City and rivals United.

Now, reports from Portugal suggest that Benfica are willing to cut their asking price to £26 million to try and push a sale over the upcoming months – despite having a £38 million release clause.

With Claudio Bravo struggling in his debut season after arriving last summer, Joe Hart set for an imminent exit and Willy Caballero playing as a number two for the majority of his Manchester City career, it is highly expected that Guardiola will delve into the market this summer for a new ‘keeper.

Despite their alleged interest in Ederson, Record are claiming that Guardiola will have to fight off their city rivals as well as the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona to claim his signature this summer.

Aside from transfer speculation, Manchester City’s trio of Joe Hart, John Stones and Raheem Sterling have been named in the England squad for upcoming matches against Scotland and France.

Stones has been announced in Gareth Southgate’s squad despite only playing 14 minutes of football in City’s last seven matches, whilst Sterling has been rewarded for an excellent run of form of late.

Speaking after the squad announcement, BBC Sport reports that Southgate said:

“The Scotland game is one of football’s great fixtures.

“We’re in a place in the group where a win can really put us in a very strong position, and that’s what we want to achieve.

“France is a great challenge for us. Our ambition with our friendly matches is to play the best possible teams – we’ve done that by playing Spain and Germany already.”

England captain Wayne Rooney was the only notable absentee from the squad, whilst Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier has been rewarded for impressive displays with his first call up to the national squad.

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