William Carvalho on the verge of joining Real Betis

William Carvalho, 26, has taken one step closer to confirming his future and joining Spanish top flight side Real Betis, who achieved a 6th place finish in La Liga last campaign.

Carvalho, one of the nine Sporting players to unilaterally terminate their contracts after the violent scenes at Sporting's training complex at Alcochete, has been without a club since the start of the World Cup, where he played every minute of Portugal's run to the round of 16.

However, despite rescinding his contract and all ties with Sporting CP, Real Betis aim to avoid the transfer escalating into a legal battle and are hoping to strike a deal directly with his former club, who would be sure to take the transfer to court to receive compensation if they were to fail to receive any money for his services.

The final transfer fee is thought to be in the region of £22million, which would make William Carvalho the second most expensive player in Real Betis' history.

Carvalho will be signing a five year contract with this season's Europa League participants.