Betis beats Premier League foes to sign Portugal's William Carvalho

Real Betis pulled off a coup on Friday, announcing it has signed Portugal midfielder William Carvalho to a five-year deal worth up to €20 million.

Carvalho has long been linked with Premier League clubs, and that speculation only increased after he expressed his desire to leave Sporting CP. Most recently, Everton and Inter were touted as leading contenders for his signature.

However, it is Betis, somewhat surprisingly, that has sealed a move for the 26-year-old. A Sporting release states the Andalusian side will pay €16 million up front for the midfielder, who has 47 caps for his country, plus another €4 million in potential bonuses.

Carvalho spent the last 13 years at Sporting after joining the club's youth academy in 2005 but was regularly linked with a move away in the last few years. He played nearly 200 times for the club in all competitions and did not miss a single minute of Portugal's truncated World Cup campaign this summer.

The signing bolsters Betis' midfield options after the departure of homegrown talent Fabian Ruiz last week.