The representative of Yannick Ferreira Carrasco has revealed that the Belgian may have to stick with Dalian Yifang beyond the summer, considering the Chinese Super League side have no plans to sanction his sale. The 25-year-old has been vocal about the desire to return to Europe this summer but so far, Dalian have shown little interest in listening to potential offers.
Speaking to Belgian outlet HLN, agent Christophe Henrotay revealed that the likes of Arsenal have expressed an interest in his client but a deal appears unlikely with Dalian not considering a sale, he said: "There are clubs that would like to sign him. One club submitted a formal offer. Other clubs, such as Arsenal, also wanted to do that, but Dalian said he was not for sale."
The north London giants had initially sought to pursue Carrasco during the winter transfer window but they could not convince Dalian to sanction his sale. The same seems to have remained the case for the summer and the Gunners may have to potentially look elsewhere to bolster the wider attacking department ahead of next season.
Arsenal are deemed to be working on a restricted £45m budget for the summer but they have nonetheless approached some of the best young talents from around the world. Among those, Celtic’s Kieran Tierney has emerged as the prime target and reports claim that they have already failed with an initial £15m move for the Scot.
The Capital outfit are due to come up with a renewed offer of around £20m but the bid could likewise be knocked back by the Hoops, who are demanding at least £25m for the left-sided defender. Aside from Tierney, the club have been associated with a move for Lorient’s Alexis Claude-Maurice but they have yet to finalise a transfer fee for the young Frenchman.