Having played a key role in the Belgian national team’s route to the World Cup semi-finals last summer, Yannick Carrasco was considered hot property around Europe. At the time of the championship, the winger was an Atletico Madrid player, but a rift between him and manager Diego Simeone was to bring an end to his time in the Spanish capital.
Europe’s giants began to circle, but Carrasco turned down a move to the likes of Arsenal and Man United in favour of a big-money move to the Chinese Super League and newly promoted team, Dalian Yifang.
But after continuing his good form in China, he is once again appearing on the radar of Europe’s biggest teams.
The Sun reports that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified Carrasco as a potential target for Man United. The Norwegian sees in Carrasco an almost like-for-like, younger replacement for the apparently departing Antonio Valencia, with the Belgian as comfortable in a wing-back role as in a more attacking position.
However, it isn’t just United who are keen on the 25-year-old. AC Milan are said to also be preparing a bid – the Italian giants are becoming accustomed to spending big in recent transfer windows, after a change of ownership, as they attempt to reclaim their place at the top of the tree in Serie A.
Either way, if or when Carrasco decides he’d like a return to Europe, he won’t be short of suitors. And with compatriots Fellaini and Lukaku at United, he might just decide to swap the far-east for the north-west.