Man Utd in talks to sign La Liga star, club ready to pay at least £30m to secure deal

Managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads during the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Manchester United are linked with Ivan Rakitic…

Manchester United are in negotiations with Barcelona over a deal to sign Ivan Rakitic as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kick-starts his summer overhaul at Old Trafford, according to the Daily Record.

Solskjaer is expected to be extremely active in the transfer market over the coming months as he looks to build a squad capable of competing for top honours again after finishing sixth in the Premier League this season.

A new midfielder is on the agenda as speculation continues over the future of Paul Pogba while Ander Herrera is leaving the club when his contract expires next month and it seems United have identified a top class replacement.

The Daily Record are reporting that Man Utd are in talks with Barcelona over a potential deal to sign Ivan Rakitic and are prepared to pay at least £30m to get an agreement in place for the 31-year-old’s signature this summer.

The newspaper says Barca are open to cashing-in on Rakitic as they have already signed midfield sensation Frenkie De Jong from Ajax and need to raise further funds to help finance their own summer transfer plans.

However, while United are pushing to get a deal in place, the Daily Record says Barcelona value the Croatian international at around £48m [€55m] so there is still a lot of negotiating to do before an agreement is reached.

World class

Rakitic would be a superb signing for Man Utd if they managed to get a deal in place as he’s been one of the best all-round midfielders in European football since joining Barcelona from Sevilla five years ago.

He’s been a key figure for the Catalans as he’s made over 250 appearances to help win a whole host of honours including four La Liga titles and the Champions League during his time at the Nou Camp.

Rakitic would be a huge upgrade on United’s current midfield options so in the short-term, he’d be a great addition to their squad. Some may have concerns about paying big money for a 31-year-old but Rakitic has missed just nine matches through injury over the past five years so he’s in excellent physical condition.

READ –> Man Utd transfer news

We’ll have to wait and see how the negotiations progress over the coming weeks but I think it would be a great piece of business if Man Utd were able to lure Rakitic to Old Trafford this summer.