THREE Alternatives To Sporting Lisbon Midfielder For Manchester United

Portugal is always a fantastic place to pick up young and exciting talent. James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao are two examples. Although they are not homegrown, the league knows how to find great players and that is a credit to the clubs. Recent disappointment in the World Cup for the country led to one of their stars slating his team-mates and claiming they are not good enough. However, they could be set to enter a golden period of young stars coming through, with William Carvalho leading the way.

The Express are reporting that the player could cost Manchester United £37 million. With that being such a huge fee, here are three cheaper alternatives:

1. Lars Bender - The Germany international has been subject to much interest from Arsenal in the last couple of seasons, but the Gunners have only had bids rejected. They have offered money in the region of £20 million, which gives United plenty of breathing space before they enter William Carvalho territory. Bender is a very good midfielder and someone who can do a job as good as anyone in the world. A bonus is you will get quite a few seasons out of him.

2. Luiz Gustavo - The Brazilian has been brilliant at the World Cup so far and is one of the reasons why Brazil haven't conceded many goals. He is the perfect midfield anchor to a very attack-minded team, always well-disciplined and very hard-working. If ever you want a dynamic, intelligent and energetic midfielder with fantastic range in his passing then Gustavo is your man. He will be slightly more expensive than Bender, but that is because his price will have risen due to his performances in the World Cup.

3. Javi Martinez - If Manchester United were to get hold of Martinez, it could be one of the signings of the summer. He is as capable in the heart of the midfield as he is at the heart of the defence, with his versatility making him a very special kind of player. The Spaniard would provide depth in defence and midfield and, at the age of just 25, has plenty of seasons left in him. In addition to this, he may well be easier to get than first thought, as he has been on the fringes of the squad for almost a season now. This would help when it comes to his cost as well.