‘What a waste of talent’ – Fans slam double Atletico Madrid exit, £26m ace snubs Arsenal

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Atletico Madrid have confirmed the double departure of talented duo Yannick Carrasco and Nico Gaitan, with the pair joining Dalian Yifang.

While the Spanish giants haven’t disclosed the fees involved, The Mirror report that Carrasco will cost around £26m, while he’ll earn a whopping £8.8m-a-year.

In turn, that’s an indication as to why the pair have chosen to move to China at this stage of their respective careers. For Gaitan, 30, the move arguably makes a little more sense as he’ll want to cash in and secure a lucrative contract as he nears the end of his career, but fans haven’t responded well to Carrasco’s decision.

The Belgian international, 24, made 123 appearances to Atleti after joining them from Monaco in 2015, scoring 23 goals and establishing himself as a top talent.

However, in truth, both players have struggled for prominent roles under Diego Simeone this season, but their destination upon leaving the Spanish capital seems to have shocked and disappointed many, as seen in the comments below on Twitter.

Mundo Deportivo reported at the end of the January transfer window that Arsenal could make a €50m this summer for Carrasco, but that no longer looks to be an option as he has chosen a lucrative move to the Far East over possibly playing in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen what impact it has on their careers, while Simeone has become much lighter now in terms of squad depth with his side still chasing La Liga and Europa League glory this season.

In contrast, it could be argued both may simply be prioritising their families and getting the best deal for themselves at this moment in time. At just 24, Carrasco perhaps still has the chance to make big money in China and return to Europe in a few years time.

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