Yannick Carrasco is set to leave Atletico Madrid for the second time in his career, after Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab agreed a fee with Los Colchoneros for the 29-year-old, who has expressed his desire to head to the Middle East.
Although the deal has yet to be finalised, it is expected to go through. Carrasco had still been training with Atletico, although as Diario AS have reported, he did not do so on Saturday morning.
Carrasco appears to have played his final minutes as an Atletico player, and he won’t be included in the squad for Sunday’s match against Sevilla. Speaking to the media ahead of that game, head coach Diego Simeone confirmed that Carrasco is set to leave.
🚨🎙️| Diego Simeone: “I love Yannick [Carrasco] a lot as a person. He has always given his best for what the team needed, and I’m grateful. He felt the need to leave, even though it’s not official, and if it’s true, we’ll meet in Riyadh for a coffee because I care about him.” pic.twitter.com/A8XfBVzd7w
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) September 2, 2023
Carrasco has played an integral role for Atletico Madrid over the years, firstly as a winger and then as a wing-back. He will leave a hole in the squad, but Simeone does have Javi Galan, Samuel Lino and Rodrigo Riquelme as possible replacements.
