According to The Sun, Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic will leave the club if Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is signed. The Croatian international, who joined Barcelona from Sevilla for £16m in 2014, is fearing his place in the side will be taken by Coutinho, and Rakitic has no desire to play second fiddle to anyone.
As a result, a departure may be on the cards in January or next summer, should Barcelona manage to bring the Brazilian international to the Camp Nou. Liverpool have so far resisted every attempt from the Spanish club to sign Coutinho, but the Catalans are going to try again, says Diario Gol.
And should he become a Barcelona player, Rakitic could go in the opposite direction, with a number of Premier League clubs reportedly keen on his signature. The former Basel, Schalke and Sevilla midfielder is believed to be a target for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, although his £40m valuation might prove a stumbling block.
Rakitic has made 18 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona this season, playing in all 11 of their La Liga outings, all four of their Champions League matches, as well as featuring in the domestic cups. He’s still a key player for the Spaniards but would surely relinquish his place if the likes of Coutinho joined – as the Brazilian boasts 20 goals contributed in 31 Premier League games in 2016/17.
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