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Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has established contact with Barcelona ace Ivan Rakitic regarding a potential transfer to the North London outfit, that is according to French outlet le10sport. According to the report, Arteta had been in touch with the Croatian, in a bid to lure him to the Emirates stadium.
The Gunners will now be looking to strengthen the squad ahead of the upcoming season, as the outfit aims to provide Mikel Arteta with all the resources to challenge for top honours.
The North London outfit have been heavily linked with a move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey. But the Gunners have so far failed in their attempts to sign the 27-year-old, with Atletico rejecting both of their bids so far.
However, it appears that Arsenal have now shifted their attention to Barcelona ace Rakitic. The Croatian is expected to leave the club in the upcoming transfer window, having fallen down the pecking order this year. The Camp Nou outfit are looking to sign a couple of key players in this transfer window, and it is understood they are open to selling some of their fringe players.
According to the report, Arteta has spoken with Rakitic in a bid to convince him to join the Gunners. The Spaniard wants to make Rakitic the focal point of his midfield for the upcoming season. However, convincing him to join a Europa League side could prove to be difficult.
A bigger cause for concern for Arsenal and Arteta is that Rakitic is not inclined to move to the Premier League, and prefers a move to another club in La Liga or to move to Serie A. Further, a move back to Sevilla cannot be ruled out for the 32-year-old.
Arsenal receive much-needed financial boost courtesy of FA Cup win
Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday, thanks to a brace by captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time. Courtesy of their win over Chelsea, the Gunners have now qualified for next year's Europa League, which would come as a welcome relief for the North London outfit.
Arsenal were looking to operate on a shoe-string budget ahead of next season because of the implications of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, with participation in next season's Europa League guaranteed, their spending power would receive a small but much-needed boost.
