Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho reveals his 'fondness' for Premier League club Arsenal

William Carvalho was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium during the summer

Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho has dropped the biggest hint by revealing that he has always wanted to play in the Premier League, particularly for Arsenal, as per the reports on A Bola. Carvalho has long been linked with a move to the Gunners, but he has insisted that winning the league in his native Portugal is his top priority.

The 23-year-old reportedly has a €45-million release clause in his contract with Sporting which runs until 2018 and he has attracted interest from numerous Premier League clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United in the past.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been a long-term admirer of the Portugal under-21 international, with the Frenchman reportedly bidding more than £20 million for him in the past two summer transfer window.

Carvalho may have just dropped the biggest bombshell after he made claims that he would love to move to the Gunners in the future and has admitted that he has always been a fan of the north London outfit.

"I am where I want to be right now, which is Sporting, but if I ever do leave then it's a sign that my work here was well done." he told Portuguese newspaper.

"I dream of winning the Primeira Liga here.”

He also spoke about the club he has affinity towards in the English Premier League.

He said: "I prefer not to say too much, but there is a club with which I've always been fond of: Arsenal. Because of Thierry Henry, a player with whom I have always enjoyed watching.”

"Maybe this is why I look with so much affection to the Premier League."

Arsenal were the only club in Europe to have not signed any outfield players during the summer, as the Frenchman opted to add only one player to his squad by signing former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

The fans were keen for the manager to bring in a defensive midfielder, Carvalho in particular. Francis Coquelin has been in stunning form ever since he was called back from his loan spell with Charlton Athletic last season but Wenger could be seeing Carvalho as a possible backup option to Coquelin in the future.

Gunners scout Celtic midfielder

Nir Bitton joined Celtic from FC Ashdod in 2013

The North London club have reportedly sent scouts to Scotland to keep a watch on Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton, according to the Evening Times. The Israeli player who joined Celtic from FC Ashdod for 700,000 in 2013 has attracted the attention of Wenger.

Bitton has established himself in Hoops’ midfield and he recently scored a screamer for his country against Cyprus, which amazed fans all over the world.