Arsenal opinion: Arsenal want Yannick Carrasco – a bad move?

The Mirror has reported that Arsenal target Yannick Carrasco wants to return to Europe, after spending a little over a year in China. A former Monaco and Atletico Madrid star, Carrasco joined DL Yifang in January 2018, and has had a decent time in the Chinese Super League.

Last season, he finished with 7 goals and 9 assists to his name in just 25 appearances and even got picked in Belgium’s World Cup squad. The 25-year-old played a big role as Belgium reached the semi-finals, eventually finishing third in Russia, their highest finish ever.

That saw Arsenal show an interest in him, with the Gunners even contacting the Chinese Super League club over the 2019 winter window. DL Yifang wanted a loan fee, which was something that Arsenal couldn’t afford, according to Sky Sports.

The deal eventually fell apart, and it now looks like that was a blessing in disguise. But the Sun recently reported that the North London side are interested in a summer move and that should not happen.

While there is no doubting the talent that Carrasco does have, the 25-year-old has struggled with consistency. Arsenal, on the other hand, need someone who can provide width, add speed, power and more importantly, flourish in the Premier League.

While Carrasco can provide the first two, it’s the last part that the Belgian cannot provide the Premier League giants with. His lithe build and struggles with inconsistency in his last few seasons with Atletico Madrid show that the forward might struggle to adapt when it comes to the physical part of the game.

However, that isn’t to say that Arsenal does not need a winger. Unai Emery cannot keep using Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan every single game, as this will improve their chances of getting injured.

Instead, they need to sign a young and hungry winger, someone who wants to prove himself, and is thus willing to work extra hard.

Essentially, they need someone to replace Danny Welbeck as the 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season.

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Conclusion

Yannick Carrasco was a brilliant winger once and had the world at his feet. However, the move to China has proved to be detrimental for his development and while Paulinho managed to make it back into Europe’s biggest league, it may not be the same for Carrasco.