Atletico Madrid will reportedly try to increase Yannick Carrasco’s release clause in his contract amid speculation linking Chelsea with a move.
The Belgian international arrived in the Spanish capital last summer and signed a five-year deal to join Diego Simeone’s men.
According to The Sun, he has a £35m release clause in his current deal, but having impressed for Atleti last season, they are keen to renegotiate terms and try to deter interest from around Europe with a more sizeable figure.
That interest is specifically coming from Chelsea according to the report, who see Carrasco as an ideal replacement for Eden Hazard given his ability to make an impact on the left flank and behind a main striker.
The 23-year-old has scored six goals in 50 appearances in all competitions for Atleti, but his overall contribution has seen him play a key role for Simeone’s men over the last year or so.
However, The Sun add that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has essentially told boss Antonio Conte that he will be backed with significant funds in the transfer markets next year, and has given him a license to splash out on players that will get Chelsea back competing at the top of the table.
Whether or not Carrasco features as part of that vision remains to be seen, but it appears as though it will be tricky for the Premier League giants to convince their Spanish rivals to sell as they do their best to prevent him from leaving the capital.
The former Monaco ace has featured in all seven La Liga games so far this season, while he scored the only goal of the game in the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League last month.