Arsenal had a scout in the stand to watch the Lisbon derby between Benfica and Sporting on Wednesday night, according to O Jogo.
The Portuguese newspaper reports that four other Premier League teams also sent representatives to the match, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham all present.
Two players that the Gunners have been linked to in recent months are Sporting’s William Carvalho and Benfica’s Andrija Zivkovic. While Carvalho did play the full 90 minutes, Zivkovic was not even in the squad for the match so it’s likely the Sporting captain was the one being watched.
However, there is very little prospect of the Portuguese international leaving the Primeira Liga side this month. Speaking to Record earlier this week, Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho dismissed the prospect of the 25 year old being sold:
“Forget [it]. He is not transferable in January. If one day he leaves, wherever it is, we must ensure that the footballing aspect of the decision is not called into question.”
The midfielder reportedly has a €45million (£40m) buyout clause so despite what Sporting say, his transfer would likely depend on the buying club matching the figure.
