Arsenal: Yannick Carrasco a throwback to problems of the past

Yannick Carrasco has confirmed that there are European offers on the table for him this summer. Arsenal signing him, though, would be a throwback to problems of the past.

Yannick Carrasco is a 25-year-old, international-calibre winger who knows how to create and score goals and could be available for a semi-reasonable fee. Given the current make-up of the Arsenal squad and the types of players that they should be targetting this summer, he seems like the ideal player to acquire.

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And it seems as though Carrasco is interested in a move to Europe. Speaking to Belgian media this week, the winger revealed that there is an offer on the table, one that is progressing nicely, and that he would like to return to Europe after spending 18 months in China:

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"“There is now an offer on the table and the negotiations with my agent are progressing well. I am the most important player in the club, but I hope the chairman understands me. From a family point of view, I would rather play in Europe and stay closer to my family. The adjustment for my family was also difficult over there. I have become a lot more mature and have learned a lot. Also on the field, where I had to take my responsibility and the team had to bear. But my wish now is to return.”"

Carrasco is ostensibly on his way back to Europe and Arsenal have been named as a possible landing spot. The club has long been linked with a move for Carrasco and chased the Belgian international last January but ultimately lacked the finances to pull off a deal.

There is just one major issue with any potential signing: attitude. Carrasco curiously moved to China when he was 24. He was entering the prime of his career, was a semi-regular at one of the biggest and most successful clubs in Europe, and chose to give it all up, in a World Cup year, for the money. That is a major red flag.

It is also not the only time that his attitude has been called into question. He reportedly had a rather tempestuous relationship with Diego Simeone and is not known as the best dressing room presence in the world, many of the Belgium team allegedly surprised that Roberto Martinez called him up for the World Cup last summer.

And Arsenal have had bad experiences with poor attitude players in the past. Mesut Ozil is a problem that needs to be solved. Alexis Sanchez was a parasite in the closing months of his tenure at the club. Bringing in an attacking player who will not play with the desired commitment and application might not be the wisest move in the world.

The work rate, character and commitment of many of the Arsenal players have been problematic in the past. Carrasco has done little to prove that he bucks the trend. So why would you dip your toe back in the waters that have bit you so many times before?