Monaco, PSG eye Rakitic as Barça go back for Frenkie De Jong
According to the Catalan press, the Croatia midfielder is a target for the Ligue 1 giants while Frenkie de Jong may be available if Ajax slip up in Champions League.
Ivan Rakitic and Frenkie de Jong occupied the headlines in the Catalan sports dailies on Thursday with the Croatia midfielder reportedly emerging as a target for Ligue 1 big-hitters Monaco and PSG and Barcelona refusing to give up on their pursuit of the Netherlands under-21 international.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Rakitic has received offers from both PSG and Monaco but at this stage the 30-year-old has no plans to leave Camp Nou. Barcelona recently extended Rakitic’s contract until 2021 and he feels an important part of the side, the daily states.
Barça still keen on De Jong despite Ajax holding firm
Meanwhile, Sport suggest that Barça have not given up on their pursuit of Ajax midfielder De Jong, who has been filling in as a central defender in pre-season, with the Camp Nou technical committee viewing the 21-year-old as an ideal long-term substitute for Sergio Busquets.
Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars has made the Eredivisie club’s stance on their young stars abundantly clear but there is a suggestion that failure to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League may alter that situation.
