Portuguese newspaper Record claim the Toffees are refusing to give up on the 25-year-old despite Sporting’s not-for-sale stance.
Club directors are said to have watched Carvalho in action this season, with boss Ronald Koeman deeming him an ‘ideal’ addition to his squad.
West Ham were keen on signing the defensively-minded midfielder last summer but could not agree a deal with Sporting.
Record claims that Everton are now the front-runners for Carvalho’s signature, despite the Portuguese club’s reluctance to cash-in.
Koeman has prioritised signing a new striker in the January transfer window with his side struggling for goals after the departure of Romelu Lukaku.
But after a disappointing start to the season, the Merseyside club could look to strengthen in other areas in order to get their campaign back on track.
Blues boss Koeman already has Morgan Schneiderlin, Idrissa Gueye and James McCarthy as defensive midfield options, although the Republic of Ireland international has struggled for form and fitness.
McCarthy has attracted interest from a number of clubs including Newcastle, West Brom and Crystal Palace, with a move away during the winter window a possibility.
Aside from Everton, Carvalho has previous been linked with a move to Arsenal even as manager Jorge Jesus insists the former Portugal U-21 ace is still relevant to his plan and is going no where.
Eligble for both Portugal and Angola, Carvalho chose to represent the former. When he was still part of the Portugal under-20s the Angolan Football Federation tried to call him up, but were rejected.
Carvalho made his debut with the Portuguese under-21 team on 15 October 2012, in a 0–1 friendly loss with Ukraine. He scored twice during the 2015 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, in home wins against Norway and Israel
He was first called up by full side manager Paulo Bento in November 2013, for the 2014 FIFA World Cup playoffs against Sweden. He gained his first cap in the second leg on the 19th, coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute in a 3–2 away triumph and eventually made the final 23-man squad for the tournament in Brazil.
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