Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have set their sights of Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who could reportedly cost them €80 million.
According to shocking reports from Spanish news outlet Don Balon, Bayern Munich are preparing a move for Ivan Rakitic. The German giants are actively looking for a new midfielder this summer amidst transfer speculations regarding Thiago’s future at the club and Rakitic has been identified as an ideal candidate.
Bayern saw their advances for Luka Modric halted last month, as the player refused to join his compatriot Niko Kovac in Germany.
But, the Bavarians are not willing to dwell on the rejection of the former Spurs midfielder. Instead, they have moved on to another Croat.
FC Bayern were in contact with Rakitic’s agent and have already offered the midfielder €9 million for the next four seasons. They are also willing to pay €80 million to FC Barcelona for his services this summer. Rakitic, however, has postponed any response until the end of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Barcelona midfielder has been one of the best performing players in the ongoing FIFA World Cup. His exceptional partnership with Modric in the centre of the pitch has helped Croatia historically reach the semi finals, where they will play England. However, the story hasn’t been the same for Rakitic on the club level.
Even though the Croat has made over 200 appearances since his move to Barcelona in 2014, he remains as one of the highly scrutinized players at the club in recent times.
Additionally, the Catalan giants are poised to make a midfield overhaul this summer following the retirement of Andres Iniesta. In fact, they have already officiated the departure of Paulinho with Andre Gomes also likely to depart from Camp Nou this summer.
This could significantly increase the chances of Barcelona shelling out big money for a new central midfielder. Moreover, it is understood that they already have a deal in place for Gremio’s Arthur Melo and considering Philipe Coutinho’s excellent form at the World Cup, Rakitic’s presence could once again be overshadowed next season.
Thus, a move to Bayern Munich seems like a logical one for the Croatian international.
As for Bayern, the addition of Ivan Rakitic could definitely revitalize their midfield department as newly appointed Niko Kovac looks to usher in a new era next season.
Star midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal have been already linked with moves out of Allianz Arena while Sebastian Rudy has somewhat failed to make an impression in the latter half of last season.
In addition, Javi Martinez has also entered the final phase of his career and with his lack of pace, it’s highly unlikely that he will be able to thrive under Kovac.
Therefore, Corentin Tolisso and Leon Goretzka remain the only reliable options in midfield provided Thiago departs the club this summer, thus accentuating the need of a top class midfielder this summer. And, Ivan Rakitic fits the bill like no other.
At the age of 30, the Croatian international has an ample amount of experience in top flight football and is no stranger to success either, having won 13 major trophies during his illustrious career. His experience, coupled with his industry in midfield is just what head coach Kovac was looking for as Bayern look to make a strong impression in Europe next season.
