Report: PSG, Monaco Interested in Signing Ivan Rakitic
Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco are interested in Barcelona's Croatian playmaker Ivan Rakitic, with both clubs said to have announced their interest in the former Sevilla man after he caught the eye during his country's run to the World Cup final.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the French duo have ramped up their interest in the 30-year-old after his heroics in Russia this summer, with the current state of the transfer market meaning that his €125m release clause is now fairly attainable.
Rakitic was a key player for Ernesto Valverde last season as Barcelona embarked on a record breaking title success, with the midfielder playing more minutes than any of his teammates.
Since arriving at the Camp Nou, he has been one of the first names on the teamsheet; la Blaugrana have not made him available for a move, but could be swayed by a huge offer for a player entering his 30s.
Barcelona's recent player plus cash swoop for Manchester United's Paul Pogba, consisting of £45m, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes, was swiftly declined, although the club were rumoured to be thinking of involving Rakitic in the deal.
The player himself, however, has a contract until 2021 and has not expressed any desire to depart Catalonia.
PSG and Barcelona may struggle to do business given their fractured relationship over deals involving the likes of Marco Verratti and Neymar in the past, although the Parisians do possess the financial capability to afford Rakitic.
Monaco also has the finances to lure Rakitic to France, given the lucrative deals involving Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Fabinho to PSG, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool respectively.
The club has already added Russia's World Cup hero Aleksandr Golovin to their ranks, but will need to capture more big names to replace the aforementioned trio, who played a huge role in Monaco's recent successes.
