Manchester United are planning a £29m bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho in the summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The report states that United representavies have already talked to the club about their interest and are likely to complete a deal before the world cup.

The 21-year-old has been a rock in midfield for the Portuguese club and will bring some much needed stability in the United midfield, which has been in sixes and sevens for the better part of this season.

The midfielder is likely to come in as a long-term replacement for Michael Carrick, who has entered his thirties and unlikely to carry on for much longer.

United have been tracking the midfielder for quite some time now and are willing to pay the premium to bring the player to Old Trafford.

David Moyes, who has been through a tumultuous period since taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson has been promised a sizeable amount in the summer to build his squad. The Red Devils have been linked with a lot of players in the sumnmer and are planning a major splurge to revive their title hopes in the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Carrick has revealed that he is looking forward to meeting Liverpool next weekend. The Red Devils are currently 11 points behind the Merseyside club and will bring the gap down to eight with a win against their most ardent rivals.

"It's a big month ahead, we're well aware of that. It's Liverpool next and that's a big one. Regardless of where both teams are in the league it's an important fixture," he told ManUtd.com.

"In recent times, with this rivalry, we've been on top of them in the league and it's the other way around at the moment. But I don't think league places affect the game. We'd say it if we're top of the table that form goes out of the window against Liverpool, it counts for very little, and that's the case now. It should be a good game and we're all looking forward to it," he added.