FC Barcelona Have Option To Buy Atletico Madrid’s Carrasco This Summer

FC Barcelona has the option to buy Atletico Madrid star Yannick Carrasco for a cut fee this summer, according to various reports.

The Belgium international is a free agent in 2024, and Barca would be able to purchase him for less than €20mn ($21.6mn) say the likes of SPORT and Mundo Deportivo in Catalonia, plus a series of Barca correspondents.

Xavi is believed to like the idea of signing the 29-year-old in the summer transfer window. The head coach is reportedly impressed by the 2016 Champions League finalist’s style of play, with both his price tag and salary attractive points for president Joan Laporta and the board.

Carrasco is represented by Pini Zahavi, who additionally counts the Blaugrana’s striker Robert Lewandowski among his clients. Laporta has a strong relationship with the Israeli, as he does with fellow super agent Jorge Mendes. But the Carrasco deal has come about amid the negotiations for Memphis Depay.

Failing to report for training yesterday ahead of Barca’s Copa del Rey clash with AD Cueta, the Netherlands forward is set to join Carrasco at the Metropolitano as part of a permanent deal.

Memphis will sign with Diego Simeone’s men for two-and-a-half years for a cut fee of €3mn ($3.2mn). Many have balked at Barca again gifting one of their main rivals with a good player at a low cost, as they did in past years with Luis Suarez and David Villa, yet it has to be remembered that they paid nothing for Memphis in the summer of 2021.

Furthermore, offloading Memphis frees up space on the wage bill, and will allow Barca to finally register the new contracts of Ronald Araujo and Gavi who will form part of the long-term future of the first XI.

Both the central defender and midfielder are tied down until 2026, and their fresh arrangements penned in 2022 come with €1bn ($1.08bn) release clauses designed to ward off interest from noveau-riche outfits such as Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City.