Chelsea are looking to reinforce their midfield options, with a summer move for Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic reportedly being lined up.
Spanish publication Sport have ran the story on their cover. According to the report, Chelsea will reignite their interest in Ivan Rakitic in the summer. The Blues are looking to beef up their midfield for the new season and will move for the Barcelona midfielder when the summer transfer window arrives.
Ivan Rakitic has enjoyed a successful club career in Spain, first at Sevilla and then at Barcelona. His move to Barcelona was an emotional one for him. But, he has managed to keep those emotions in check and establish himself as a key player within the first-team setup at the Nou Camp.
But, Rakitic is now 30 and while he has stated he would like to stay at Barcelona, the club are likely to be planning for the future. The Catalan giants have already secured the services of Frenkie de Jong, who will phase out Sergio Busquets in time. Rakitic’s replacement is still being lined up. But, so is Rakitic, with Chelsea plotting a summer swoop for the Croatian international.
The Barcelona midfielder has been on the radar of the Premier League top brass for a while now, with Manchester United always touted as the club after him. But, it seems Chelsea are looking to add some punch to their midfield, especially with Mateo Kovacic not really providing the creative spark that is needed in a midfield three at Stamford Bridge.
Leandro Paredes was one of the priority targets for Maurizio Sarri. But, the club has let him slip away, with PSG landing the midfielder. Kovacic is unlikely to be the subject of a bid from Chelsea come summer to make the move permanent while the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley have failed to inspire any confidence in their abilities thus far under Sarri.
The latest blow was a defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, which has left the former Napoli manager fuming. At 30, Rakitic might not be a long-term option. But, he can prove to be an immediate upgrade to the Chelsea midfield, especially with oppositions beginning to mark Jorginho out of the game in recent matches.
Rakitic might be hoping for an extended stay at Barcelona. But, the Catalan giants could be ready to negotiate with Chelsea, if the Blues are serious about a summer bid.
