Not many Belgians can boast of the fact that they have scored in a Champions League final. In fact, there’s only one player who has done this, and that is Atletico Madrid’s Yannick Ferreira Carrasco. The winger has had an extraordinary start at Atletico following his move from Monaco. He started out his career in man junior Belgian clubs, before making the move to Monaco.
At the time, Monaco were in the French second division and they were looking to get back to Ligue 1. Carrasco, in his debut season, performed admirably as the Principality club gained promotion back to France’s top tier. Following eye-catching performances at the Stade Louis II, he moved to Atletico Madrid where he has again been a hit.
His debut campaign with Atletico was a successful one as it saw Carrasco score in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, albeit his equalizer didn’t count for much as his team eventually lost on penalties. In his second season in Spain, Ferreira Carrasco has again impressed hugely as he has goals, including a hat-trick to his name against Granada.
Such form has seen him linked with a move to various clubs, including the likes of Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. All these top clubs are behind his signature as they are in need of an explosive winger and there hasn’t been a more impressive one than the Belgian winger.
Chelsea seems to be the most interested party at the moment as Antonio Conte looks to add to his squad in the summer. This season, Chelsea have been in scintillating form and to keep that going, they will need to bring in some fresh faces in the summer to keep things fresh and going. Carrasco could just be one of the players that Conte adds to his squad.
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco would bring a lot to the Chelsea team. Currently, only Willian acts as a natural backup to any one of the three attackers at the helm of Chelsea’s attack. Apart from Willian, Antonio Conte doesn’t have much to choose from as Belgian Michi Batshuayi has been under-used.
So the signing of Ferreira Carrasco would considerably add depth to the squad. Added to that, Carrasco can also play as a wing-back, replicating Victor Moses, who is a winger by nature but has been deployed in a reasonably defensive role. Carrasco is a fine dribbler and crosser of the ball, all attributes that can definitely aid Diego Costa.
His versatility will certainly be a boon to any side he joins. But Chelsea should look to get in front of his other suitors and get his signing over the line. Ferreira Carrasco will be glad to join his international teammates Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard and Michy Batshuayi if the former Marseille man stays at the club beyond the summer.