The World Cup is often seen as a time for clubs to run the rule over potential targets ahead of a close season of spending. At the top end of the market, Real Madrid famously signed James Rodriguez for a monumental figure of around £70 million after the Colombian impressed in Brazil four years ago, while closer to home, Muhamed Besic's man-marking job on Lionel Messi at the same tournament convinced then-Everton manager Roberto Martinez to bring the Bosnian midfielder to Goodison in a cut-price deal.
Such moves off the back of one month's football are clearly riddled with risk and consequently, it was no great surprise to see both James and Besic fail to fully acclimatise to their new clubs. Rather than off the cuff purchases that may not work outside of a very specific context, though, World Cup displays can at least provide validation or otherwise for scouts and managers who have been extensively watching a specific player over a number of months.
Reported Everton target William Carvalho, who has been repeatedly linked with a switch to the Blues since the end of the season, very much falls into that bracket. A tall, languid defensive midfielder feted for his ability on the ball, Carvalho's links with newly-appointed Everton manager Marco Silva have sparked rumours that the pair will be reunited on Merseyside during the summer window.
With Silva favouring one holding player in his usual 4-3-3 formation and both Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin both believed to be heading for the Goodison exit door, it seems likely that the Portuguese will have to dip into the market at least once for a technical midfielder capable of winning possession in midfield and distributing efficiently to start attacks. The question, though, is whether that man should be Carvalho.
So far, it's fair to say that no real consensus has taken hold among the Everton fanbase. A key cog in Portugal's World Cup machine, the 26-year-old is tasked with a similar role to the one he would occupy at Goodison should he join fellow countryman Silva in the coming months. After three group games, no Selecao player has made more passes than Carvalho in Russia, with the ex-Sporting player finding teammates with 84% of those attempted. In the right context, the Angola-born midfielder often exudes calm on the ball and is able to vary his range accordingly between short pieces of interplay and longer balls aimed at freeing Portugal's pacey wingers. He is the hub through which most of Fernando Santos side's play goes through, even if the main brief is metronomic rather than creative.
While his technical ability is not in question, issues over composure have occasionally come to the fore. It was telling that Carvalho's pass completion rate plummeted from 90% against Spain in the first game to 75% against Morocco in the second. Here, Morocco's desire to press the opposition midfielders and force mistakes contributed at least in part to the Sporting man's poorer showing on the ball. When hurried in possession, Carvalho's rhythm tends to become disrupted, which should worry Premier League scouts given the tendency in England towards this kind of more energetic play. How would he cope when facing Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, Mauricio Pochettino, or even Sean Dyche's Burnley, for example?
It is out of possession where the biggest weaknesses lie in Carvalho's game, though. With sides such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Spurs favouring fast transitions and high pressing, the Portuguese's obvious lack of pace would be routinely exposed in Silva's system, where one-on-one defending and recovery defending are essential. In his role as ball-winner for his national team, he has made just two interceptions across three games, completed four tackles and was dribbled past twice alone against Morocco. The knock-on effect of having to cater for a player with such clear pitfalls risks further upsetting the balance in an area in which Everton are already under strength.
On the continent, Serie A side Inter are amongst those rumoured to be showing an interest in the player, although recent developments at Sporting have muddied the waters somewhat. Whereas before the start of the World Cup, Carvalho's status as a free agent - he cancelled his contract following an incident at the club's training ground in May - made him a viable budget option, current president Bruno de Carvalho's precarious status means a rapprochement is not out of the realms of possibility. Upon his resignation, the midfielder suggested he would be willing to return to Sporting should De Carvalho resign from his position. With a recent meeting of the Lisbon club's members resulting in a majority vote in favour of his dismissal as president, Everton and others may now be forced into paying a hefty fee to get any deal over the line.
Once on the radar of Real Madrid and Manchester United, Carvalho's career has yet to fully take off in the way anticipated when he broke onto the scene. Over the past couple of years, his progression has undoubtedly stalled at Sporting to the extent where most of those linked are now mid-level Premier League clubs. This, in itself, tells its own story.
Carvalho would certainly be an upgrade on most of Everton's midfielders on ball, but an absence of pace makes Italy and Spain logical alternatives. And while the Blues are in urgent need a player with his sort of technical ability, the last few weeks have only confirmed the belief that Silva would be best served turning his attentions elsewhere in his search for midfield options.
