Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic will be free to depart Spanish giants Barcelona for £17.6million this summer, according to reports.
Rakitic’s importance to Barcelona has been on the wane in the last couple of seasons, having previously been a key man.
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The 32-year-old’s contract expires in June 2021, and Barca chiefs are hoping to recoup the majority of the £17m they paid for him in 2014 when he arrived from Sevilla.
The coronavirus pandemic has added uncertainty to the summer’s transfer window.
But according to Marca Rakitic is expected to leave regardless.
He is believed to be attracting interest in Spain, England, Italy and France – with Manchester United among them.
The midfielder will depart with his head held high, however, having made 299 appearances for the Blaugrana – winning 13 trophies.
His Barca highlight was undoubtedly winning the Champions League in 2015 – in which he scored in the final.
Aside Rakitic, fellow midfielder Arturo Vidal could also depart the Catalan club in order to free up a non-EU slot in the club’s LaLiga squad list.
And the pair could be joined by forwards Antoine Griezmann and Martin Braithwaite.
Griezmann only arrived last summer after a protracted transfer tangle with Atletico Madrid, but having scored just eight league goals – the £105million Frenchman could be sacrificed already.
Braithwaite, on the other hand, was always brought in as a temporary measure, following the long-term injuries suffered by Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are reportedly keeping tabs on a number of players in addition to Rakitic – including Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Thomas Meunier.
1 Comment
I think barca should try and maintain this kind of player