Mirror: Reds want Sporting ace

Liverpool are weighing up a move for William Carvalho - after a setback in their attempts to land Miralem Pjanic.

Roma's American owners have gone one step further than the club chiefs who slapped a £37m price tag on Pjanic 24, by insisting he is not for sale at any price.

Liverpool were quoted the huge fee for Pjanic - their top target to replace outgoing skipper Steven Gerrard - after boss Brendan Rodgers travelled to the Italian capital and held talks with Roma's director of football Walter Sabatini.

Roma officials are understood to have suggested the potentially off-putting price for Bosnia midfielder Pjanic to test how serious Liverpool are about trying to sign him.

But when Liverpool's interest was referred up to Roma's owners, who have the final say on any transfers, they insisted Pjanic is going nowhere no matter how much Liverpool offer.

Sources in Italy claim that might not be the end of the matter, however, as Roma have issued 'not for sale' warnings in the past and still ended up doing business.

But for now Liverpool are considering alternatives and had defensive midfielder Carvalho, 22, watched in Sporting Lisbon's 3-0 defeat to Porto on Sunday.

Angola-born Portugal international Carvalho is also on Arsenal and Manchester United's radars.

Source: Daily Mirror