Arsenal have reportedly made ‘first contact’ with Yannick Carrasco over a move to the Premier League and the player is said to ‘prefer’ a move to the club.

Yannick Carrasco currently plays for Dalian Yifang in the Chinese Super League after moving from Atletico Madrid last February for a fee of £27m.

The left winger – a position Arsenal are actively trying to fill – scored 23 goals with 17 assists in 124 games for Atletico Madrid. With Dalian Yifang he has seven goals and nine assists in 26 appearances.

Still only 25, he is about to hit his prime and a Sky Sports report, picked up in Italy, claims that “…the future of Yannick Carrasco could be in the Premier League. In fact, there was already a first contact between the leaders of the Gunners, which would be the preferred destination of the player of Dalian Yifang.”

Manchester United have reportedly also registered an interest as have AC Milan, hence the interest from the above-linked Italian site.

His contract currently runs until 2021 and it is not clear what he would cost Arsenal should they move for him.

His current market value is, however, in the region of £18m.