What’s the story?
Chelsea are all set to make a stunning return to the transfer market spotlight if reports in calciomercato are to be believed. While best advised to be taken with a pinch of salt, the website reports that the Premier League champions are all set to meet Belgian sensation Yannick Carrasco’s whopping release clause of £86 million to lure the winger-cum-forward from Atletico Madrid.
With Antonio Conte struggling to find a replacement for Diego Costa (who is seemingly Atletico bound himself), the Blues are ready to break the bank to bring one of the footballing world’s hottest sensations to Stamford Bridge.
In case you didn’t know
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco started off in his native Belgium with stints at the Diegem Sport and Genk youth setups before moving to that cradle of modern footballing talent Monaco in 2010 aged 17. He broke through to the Monaco senior team in 2012; playing 105 games and scoring 20.
In 2015, Atletico Madrid swept in with a reported €20 million to bring him to the Spanish capital where he has flourished on the wings of Diego Simeone’s fighting unit.
The heart of the matter
The main pressure point for Atletico are the wages they are offering Carrasco. Whilst currently on a relatively paltry £32,000-a-week, Chelsea are prepared to double it to tie him to a long-term contract. This is the crucial part of the argument – for October last year Carrasco signed a new four-year contract wth Los Rojiblancos and has shown no particular inclination to leave the club.
Any deal involving Carrasco could also involve Diego Costa – the former Atleti man appears desperate to be reunited with Diego Simeone, and Antonio Conte has clearly shown that the Brazilian-Spaniard is no longer in his plans
Video
For those who don’t watch Atletico regularly, here’s a select compilation of the Belgian’s best bits:
Lad can play, eh?
Author’s take
Carrasco had linked variously with Bayern Munich and Manchester United before the Atletico transfer ban kicked in – since the capital side cannot sign anyone until January, the possibilities of any big names moving out is remote, as United found out after having almost sealed the deal for Antoine Griezmann.
Besides if he does pop up at Chelsea, their front three would read – Eden Hazard, Yannick Carrasco, Pedro: all of whom are most comfortable on the wings... unless of course, Conte wants to pull a Guardiola-Messi and turn Eden Hazard into a false nine. Anyone buying that one?
