Newcastle United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco this summer after securing qualification to the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish.
What's the latest on Yannick Carrasco to Newcastle?
According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona's option to secure Carrasco's signature for €19m (£16m) expires this week, which has consequently opened the door for Eddie Howe's Magpies.
The report goes on to claim that with Newcastle having previously registered an interest in the dynamo, they could initiate a move now that European football is on offer.
With the Wanda Metropolitano team 'counting' on the player to continue his emphatic form in Spain's capital, a deal won't be easy, but with just one year remaining on his contract, it could well work out.
How would Yannick Carrasco perform at Newcastle?
As a dynamic left-flanker, Carrasco boasts all the skills to enhance the Toon attack while also retaining the defensive fortitude absorbed over his 263 outings for the Colchoneros.
This term, the 66-cap Belgium international plundered ten goals and five assists from 44 matches across all competitions for Diego Simeone's side, earning praise for his "underrated" impact by journalist Josh Bunting.
Primarily a left-midfielder, Howe could replicate the successful deal to sign Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12m in January 2022, with the right-back earning the club's Player of the Season award after playing a pivotal role in the resurgence of the team.
Trippier has made 53 appearances for United, scoring three goals, supplying ten assists and earning praise for the "ridiculous amount of quality" in his passes by journalist Charlie Gordon.
Given that Carrasco has refined his skills under Simeone's wing in the same manner as the 32-year-old England international, who won the La Liga title before departing, there is every chance Howe would be tempted to try to repeat the trick.
As per FBref, the £125k-per-week Carrasco ranks among the top 2% of positional peers for goals, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.
Indeed, having been dubbed the “complete” package by his Madrid-based manager, the 29-year-old could craft a successful career for himself in the Premier League with a transfer, and will undoubtedly provide a different dimension to a robust and refined outfit.
The return to Champions League competition after a two-decade absence has galvanised a proud fanbase that is now dreaming of the tantalising thought of a place at the forefront of Europe's elite, and by making considered and calculated moves to sign players of Carrasco's ilk, it could be that the squad remains on the cusp of greatness.