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FC Barcelona are planning to offload Ivan Rakitic in order to receive funds for the midfielder, who will now be in the final year of his contract. Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in a transfer for the Croatian.
According to Foot Mercato via SportsMole, the Catalan giants have directly asked PSG if they are willing to snap up their midfielder in the coming months. Rakitic, a vital cog in Barcelona's system until this season, had a buyout clause of £107.8 million prior to the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
Sport revealed in 2018 that PSG were interested in bringing Rakitic to the Parc des Princes at the time. They had even made contact with Barcelona and were ready to dish out a staggering £80.9 million.
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Rakitic could leave Barcelona for free next summer
Barcelona signed Rakitic from Sevilla in 2014 as they appreciated the player's vision, combative abilities with the ball and a knack of picking the best passes.
He has spent six years at Barcelona, winning four La Liga titles, one Champions League and four Copa del Rey trophies among other major honours.
However, he has been confined to the bench more often than not, playing more of a bit-part role in the Barcelona setup. The midfielder has scored just one goal this season and played 26 matches in the league for Barcelona — half of them coming as a substitute.
Manager Quique Setien praised him for his impact against Athletic Bilbao despite speculation over Rakitic's immediate future. He said:
"He came in in the second half for the Busi [Sergio Busquets] card. He has done it frankly well. He understands football very well. He has placed himself well, has stolen balls and has joined a definitive action. I am very happy for him."
The 32-year-old has just one year remaining on his current Barcelona deal, meaning he could leave for free next season due to various reasons.
Barcelona, much to the shock of the fans, confirmed the signing of Miralem Pjanic which saw Arthur Melo go the other way. In the process, they already lost one of their most gifted players.
Barcelona would definitely not want to sell Rakitic if they can't buy a long-term, young replacement for Arthur. They'll need the experience of Rakitic, implying he could even sign an extension.
However, it all depends on the player if he's ready to not hold the same prominence in the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Barcelona will hope for Real Madrid to slip in their new few games, as they aim to return to the top of the table. In what is expected to be a title-defining fixture, Barcelona host Atletico Madrid later this week.
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