Arsenal eyeing a summer transfer for Belgian star: Just what Emery needs

Arsenal missed out on a move for Yannick Carrasco in January, but will make another attempt to sign the Belgian in the summer.

Carrasco moved to Chinese side Dalian Yifang in February 2018, but was in talks with Arsenal for a winter move in January before the deal fell through.

The Gunners were not able to agree on the loan fee for the player, but might have more funds freed up for the transfer in the summer, the Express have claimed.

Carrasco has expressed his interest in getting out of China, and so a move to Arsenal might possibly suit him as well.

Yannick Carrasco: Player Profile

Carrasco has a contract with Dalian Yifang that runs till 2022, but it is unlikely he will play there for that long.

The 25-year old is predominantly a left-winger, but can be deployed as a right-winger as well.

Since joining the Chinese outfit in February of 2018, Carrasco has made 27 appearances, and has managed eight goals, and nine assists in the process.

The Belgian’s best goal-return came during his spell at Atletico Madrid in the 2016/17 season when he managed 10 strikes.

From an offensive perspective, Carrasco is a good dribbler and technically gifted, so he’d be a useful player on the counter as well as a possession-based approach.

Why Carrasco to Arsenal makes sense

Unai Emery’s Arsenal oscillate between a 3-5-2 or a 4-2-3-1 formation. Either way, the team’s tactics are heavily reliant on their wingers, as the wide players often provide the spark, and making incisive runs when required.

That role has been filled by Sead Kolasinac, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Alex Iwobi on different occasions. The fact remains, that they have not been consistent enough, and Arsenal have found themselves lacking on the left when Kolasinac has failed to deliver.

Carrasco would add a breath of fresh air as not only is a good going forward, but he is defensively disciplined as well.

Having played under Diego Simeone, the Belgian was often instructed to fall back and help out the players on the left side of the pitch as the approach under the Argentine was very pragmatic.

While Sead Kolasinac is a good wing-back, he isn’t the same player defensively and needs more protection. Someone like Carrasco might be the solution in that regard.

Stats via Whoscored