William Carvalho could be set to join West Ham United this summer on a free transfer, just a year after they failed to land him for £30m.

Portuguese daily Record claims that the defensive midfielder could be heading to the Premier League this summer after cancelling his Sporting contract.

The 26-year-old is in Russia with the Portugal squad for their World Cup campaign, and has been linked with a move away from Sporting Lisbon for the last couple of seasons.

A number of teams are interested in the Portuguese international, not least if he becomes available on a free transfer. Arsenal are heavily linked with securing his signature, but will face competition from both West Ham, Manchester United and a number of top European clubs.

Carvalho joins a number of star players in quitting the Estádio José Alvalade, with Rui Patricio, Gelson Martins, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Ribeiro, Bas Dost and Daniel Podence all reportedly terminating their contracts.

Manchester United and Arsenal have long been linked with the ace, and both are supposedly in the market for a player of his calibre in the centre of midfield.

But West Ham’s previous interest in the Portuguese could hold them in a good position to sign the 6’3 powerhouse.

It is unclear exactly what Carvalho’s plans are after the World Cup, but whoever signs him will surely be getting one of the deals of the summer.