Arsenal have reportedly conceded defeat in their pursuit of Belgian international Yannick Carrasco, with his £30 million valuation deemed too steep.
According to a report by The Sun, Arsenal have been priced out of a move for one of their top targets in the summer transfer window. The Gunners will be unable to sign Yannick Carrasco, with the Belgian international’s £30 million price tag leaving them with no option but to turn their attention elsewhere.
Yannick Carrasco created quite a stir when he decided to leave Atletico Madrid to join Dalian Yifang last year. The Belgian winger though, has taken to the challenges of Chinese football quite well, with a return of 14 goals and 11 assists in 36 appearances for Dalian.
But, the player recently made it clear that he wishes to return to Europe after spending over a year in China and hopes his club will grant him his wish. And, one of the top European clubs have been keen on snapping him up this summer – Arsenal.
The Premier League giants had been keen on signing Carrasco in the January transfer window as well. But, after being unable to secure a loan move for the Belgian international, Arsenal ended up deferring their interest in him till the summer. This time around, the Gunners are eager to secure his services on a permanent deal, and for good reason.
A lack of wingers forced Unai Emery to field players out of position or, worse yet, use formations he does not prefer. Therefore, heading into the summer transfer window, Arsenal have been linked with a number of natural wingers, with Carrasco reportedly being a priority.
In fact, Arsenal have been so serious with their interest in Carrasco that recent reports had claimed that they had agreed personal terms with him. But, the North Londoners are now set to cede their interest in him due to his restrictive price tag.
Arsenal are operating on a modest budget of just £45 million this summer after failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Additional funds will only be made available by way of player sales. Even there, they have been unable to raise any amount due to the impending free transfers of Stephan Lichtsteiner, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck in addition to Petr Cech’s retirement.
Back to Carrasco’s case, the Belgian is priced at £30 million, which would take up two-thirds of Arsenal’s speculated budget. Such a scenario is unwelcome at this point of time, which explains why the Gunners have decided to turn their attention elsewhere. But, Arsenal have received a blow in the pursuit of Ryan Fraser, who is set to stay put at Bournemouth.
For now, what appears to be certain is that Arsenal will not be sanctioning a £30 million move for Yannick Carrasco. Budget options like Alexis Claude-Maurice could be the way to go and it remains to be seen who ends up being the solution for the wide areas for Arsenal.
