Arsenal are planning an audacious move for Atletico Madrid star Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, whose contractualrelease clause is believed to be around £85million.
Spanish outlet AS (via theTelegraph)revealed that the Gunners are in the race to capture the hot prodigy who has been in fine form this season in La Liga. The 23-year-old has scored 10 goals in 19 games from midfield.
After slowing down towards the end of 2016 in the race for the Premier League, the Gunners identify Carrasco as a player to spark some form going into the second half of the season.
This would mean unfamiliar territory for boss Arsène Wenger, who is typically known for not splashing the cash, especially not in January.
The uncertainty surrounding the likes of AlexisSánchezandMesut Özil, yet to sort out their contract renewals, means that Arsenal have started looking at alternatives.Interestingly, reports in Chile (viaSkySports)suggest that Atletico Madrid have Sanchez on their radar.
Should Arsenal launch a bid for the Belgian's signature, they'll have to battle it out with fellow Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea also with one eye on the attacking midfielder.
#PremierLeague Arsenal and Chelsea to battle for £85m winger this month: Manchester United keen too https://t.co/hLW5O0HXyA
It will be interesting to see whether Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is actually willing to cash in and hand over a key player at this stage of the season, having started so brightly and a Champions League campaign still up for grabs.