Yannick Carrasco’s agent says that ‘negotiations never really started’ for his player and suggests that Arsenal didn’t even register an interest in the player.

Yannick Carrasco was one of the heaviest-linked names to Arsenal over the January window.

Even his wife said he was interested.

But could it all have been a smokescreen in a bid to get the player a move to somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t China where his agent says his family are struggling to adapt?

If it was, it didn’t work because, despite wanting a return to Europe, he’s still in China and has been taken off the market.

“It’s very unlikely he’ll move, as Dalian Yifang have formally taken him off the market,” his agent, Federico Pastorello said.

“His name could be back in the headlines over the summer.

“In truth, the negotiations never really started. There were some shows of interest from Italy, but we never went beyond that.”

Euro United, an affiliate to the reliable French outlet Paris United, reported that Arsenal submitted an offer to Dalian Yifang on the Tuesday before the window closed. They also confirmed the winger wouldn’t go to Inter Milan, with Inter’s president deciding their transfer business was done for the window.

According to the Telegraph, Arsenal were hoping for another loan deal with an option to buy, as in the case of Denis Suarez. The Daily Mail confirmed this, writing that Arsenal had ‘revived their interest’ in the player, and were in discussion with the forward’s representatives over a late move.

James Olley of the Evening Standard also wrote that Carrasco was emerging as an ’11th hour alternative to Perisic’, so the English media were all in agreement with each other as usual.

Somebody somewhere has got something wrong it seems…