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Diego Simeone hoping to keep Yannick Carrasco at Atletico Madrid

Simeone hoping to keep Carrasco at Atletico Madrid
© Reuters
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone 'hopes' that Yannick Carrasco will stay with the club this summer.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone is 'hopeful' that the club can keep hold of Yannick Carrasco this summer amid the speculation surrounding his future.

The 29-year-old is in his second spell at Atletico, first representing the club between 2015 and 2018 before leaving for Dalian Professional, but he returned to the Spanish capital in 2020.

In total, the Belgium international has represented the Red and Whites on 263 occasions in all competitions, scoring 47 goals and registering 44 assists in the process.

Last season, Carrasco featured on 44 occasions, scoring 10 goals and registering five assists, but there is currently speculation surrounding his future at Wanda Metropolitano.

The Belgian's contract is due to expire next June, and Simeone recently confirmed rumours that Carrasco could potentially join Barcelona this summer.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone reacts on July 27, 2023© Reuters

"Yannick Carrasco has the opportunity to join Barca, which is a great opportunity for him. I want the good players to stay but if they leave, I thank him for everything," Simeone told Cope at the start of June.

Talk of a potential switch to Camp Nou has cooled in recent weeks, with Xavi's side seemingly not planning to take up the €19m (£16.3m) option.

However, there remains widespread speculation surrounding a possible exit, with a number of clubs believed to be considering making a move this summer.

Simeone has branded Carrasco "very important", and the Argentine is 'hopeful' that the Belgian will remain at Wanda Metropolitano beyond the end of the summer window.

Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha celebrates scoring their first goal with Yannick Carrasco on January 22, 2022© Reuters

"Carrasco is very important to us, he knows us well and hopefully he can continue with us," Simeone told reporters.

Atletico opened their preparations for the 2023-24 campaign with a 3-2 defeat to a K-League XI on Thursday, but Carrasco was an unused substitute in that contest.

One player who is expected to leave the club this summer is Sergio Camello, though, with the 22-year-old allegedly agreeing to return to Rayo Vallecano on loan for the new season.

According to AS, Camello is heading back to Rayo following a successful spell at the club last term, scoring seven times in 41 appearances in all competitions.

There is allegedly no purchase option in the agreement, so another strong campaign could potentially see him battle for a first-team spot at Atletico during the 2024-25 season.

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Written by
Matt Law

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Yannick Carrasco celebrates scoring for Atletico Madrid on September 10, 2022
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona18122450203038
2Atletico MadridAtletico17115131112038
3Real Madrid17114237162137
4Athletic Bilbao1896327161133
5Mallorca188371821-327
6Villarreal167542827126
7Real Sociedad177461611525
8Osasuna176742225-325
9Real BetisBetis176652021-124
10GironaGirona176472325-222
11Sevilla176471823-522
12Celta Vigo176382528-321
13Rayo Vallecano165561819-120
14Las PalmasLas Palmas175482227-519
15Leganes174671523-818
16Getafe173771114-316
17AlavesAlaves174491928-916
18Espanyol1642101528-1314
19Real ValladolidValladolid1733111234-2212
20Valencia152491323-1010


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