Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Yannick Carrasco to north London.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Spanish publication AS (via The Express), who claim that – after Fabio Paratici was reported to be keen on activating the winger’s £51m release clause in the summer – the 29-year-old may now be available in the January transfer window, as Atletico Madrid need to recoup £34m through player sales this winter.
The Express go on to state that Manchester United could also be keen on a move for the Belgium international, while Antonio Conte is also said to be in need of greater attacking reinforcements as a result of the injuries sustained by Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison this season.
“Unreal” signing
While it is true that both Atleti and Carrasco have not enjoyed the best of campaigns so far in 2022/23, considering just how impressive the 29-year-old was last season, the argument that the Belgian would be an unreal signing for Paratici to get over the line this winter is an easy one to make.
Indeed, over his 34 LaLiga appearances last time out, the £43m-rated talent was in sensational form, scoring six goals, registering six assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing an average of 2.6 dribbles per game.
These returns saw the £126k-per-week flanker average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as Diego Simeone’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football last time out.
Furthermore, with the player who Josh Bunting dubbed “underrated” and Phil Kitromilides labelled “unreal” being able to operate from left wing-back, right wing-back, attacking midfield, on either flank and as a support striker, the versatility of the 29-year-old would appear to make him a perfect fit for either a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 setup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
As such, should Paratici indeed have the chance to move for Carrasco in the winter window, it would appear an extremely wise move for the sporting director to do all he can to land the 59-cap international, as the winger would evidently make an exceptional addition to Conte’s current Spurs squad.
