Atletico Madrid have reportedly told Barcelona that they will have to come up with a fee of €19m (£16.7m) to sign Yannick Carrasco this summer, as the capital giants are not interested in a swap deal.
The Catalan outfit are believed to have agreed a purchase option on the Belgium international during the discussions that took Memphis Depay to Wanda Metropolitano in January.
Earlier this year, SPORT reported that a deal for Carrasco had already been done, with the versatile winger set to arrive at Camp Nou during this summer's transfer window.
However, there is yet to be an agreement between the two sides over a price, and Barcelona are allegedly finding it difficult to negotiate with Diego Simeone's side.
According to AS, Xavi's team were hoping to include Ferran Torres in a swap deal for Carrasco, with the La Liga leaders not prepared to pay €19m (£16.7m) to sign him.
© Reuters
However, the report claims that Torres is not interested in a move to Wanda Metropolitano, while Simeone's team also do not view the Spaniard as a genuine target.
Atletico are now said to be open to keeping hold of the Belgian unless their asking price is met, as his current deal with the Red and Whites is due to expire in the summer of 2024.
A number of Premier League clubs are also believed to be keeping a close eye on the developments surrounding a player who started his professional career with Monaco.
Carrasco initially represented Atletico between 2015 and 2018 before moving to Chinese outfit Dalian Professional.
© Reuters
The attacker then returned to the Red and Whites on loan in January 2020 before completing a permanent switch back to the club in September of the same year.
In total, he has represented Atletico on 259 occasions in all competitions, scoring 45 goals and contributing 44 assists in the process.
Carrasco has been a regular for Simeone's side this season, meanwhile, featuring on 40 occasions in all competitions, scoring eight goals and registering five assists.
The Belgian's ability to play both as a wing-back and an attacker has allegedly made him an attractive proposition for Barcelona, who are said to be willing to let Jordi Alba leave this summer.
Carrasco has five goals and three assists in 31 La Liga appearances this season, while he scored once and provided two assists in six outings in the group stage of the Champions League.
Matt Law
