Manchester United manager José Mourinho is being linked with numerous midfielders as he is looking for a perfect replacement for his midfield maestro Michael Carrick, who is set to retire by the end of the season.
As part of his search, According to Diario Gol, Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic is the latest player contacted by the Portuguese manager over a possible switch to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window which begins in some months time.
The Croatian midfielder is considering making a move to Old Trafford despite being an integral part of the Blaugrana squad this season as he hopes to witness how things are done in the Premier League.
United are also linked with Toni Kroos signature as part of the club’s mission to bolster their midfield positions ahead of the upcoming season but it remains unknown if they would want to proceed in the race for the German player as they are now switching their attention to the Barcelona man.
Diario Gol further reports that United’s rivals Arsenal are also eyeing a swoop for the former Sevilla player, who has found the back of the net four times in 49 matches he’s played so far this season.
Should United beat Arsenal to the Croat’s service in the summer, Mourinho would be given the opportunity to utilize Paul Pogba as a box-to-box midfielder while Rakitic and Matic operate as a protective shield to the defenders.
Arsenal and United will have to release nothing less than £45m in the summer if they must sign the Croatian midfielder to their respective clubs according to transfermarkt.
Only time will tell if Barcelona manager Valverde would love to part way with the impressive midfielder who joined the club in 2014.
