Barcelona negotiate summer purchase option for Yannick Carrasco as part of Memphis Depay deal

• Part of Memphis deal
• Initially discussed as a swap
• Instead a separate buy option for summer

WHAT HAPPENED? Barcelona agreed to sell Memphis to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday for €3 million. But the Blaugrana managed to snag a summer €15-20 million buy option for Carrasco as part of the deal, according to ESPN. The Belgian winger was reportedly involved in the negotiations the whole way, with Barcelona at one point querying about an immediate swap deal.

Carrasco, 29, has been a regular fixture in manager Diego Simeone's teams and won La Liga in 2020-21, however he recently expressed a desire to move to Camp Nou.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Following the Memphis transfer, Barcelona will use Carrasco as wing depth should they go through with the summer option to purchase him.

WHAT THEY SAID?: Carrasco has long been a favourite of Simeone, with the manager singling him out as a bright spot in Atleti's Champions League elimination in October: "Yannick had a great game, he returned to his best level. It's a satisfying note in a lot of situations."

IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR CARRASCO? The Belgian will continue to be a crucial part of Simeone's side as they push for a Champions League spot next year.