Rakitic: Barça and Inter in talks over Croatia midfielder
According to La Gazzetta, the sporting directors of the Liga and Serie A giants have been in touch over a move for the Barcelona midfielder this summer.
Ivan Rakitic’s future at Camp Nou is up in the air with contract talks between the Croatia midfielder and the club stalled and Barcelona active in the transfer market in the middle of the park, leaving the 30-year-old in something of a state of limbo as the 2018-19 season winds down.
Barcelona have already tied up the signing of Frenkie de Jong ahead of next year’s campaign and are said to be close to agreeing a deal to bring Adrien Rabiot to Camp Nou from PSG after the midfielder’s refusal to sign a new deal at the Parc des Princes has burned his bridges with Thomas Tuchel and the Ligue 1 giants’ board.
Inter Milan in the market for Rakitic
Rakitic is therefore said to be considering his options and the lack of a concrete offer from the Camp Nou board has led to speculation that he will seek a move this summer. According to La Gazzetta, Inter Milan are keen on snapping Rakitic up and have made an approach to Barça through sporting director Piero Ausilio and CEO Giuseppe Marotta worth 35 million euros and a contract for the player of three years running up to 2022.
However, Barça are holding out for 45 million euros for Rakitic, whose contract at Camp Nou expires in 2021. The Croatia midfielder has publicly expressed his desire to remain at the club beyond his current contract but has found little traction in his desire to be offered an extension and an improvement on his current 5.5-million-euro annual wage.