Barcelona are set to sign the Croatian midfielder on a five-year deal
Catalan giants Barcelona are set to sign talented Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic on a five-year deal, according to reports in German newspaper Bild.
Rakitic still has a year to run on his Sevilla contract, however Barcelona are willing to stump up the €20 million needed to sign the ex-Schalke man before he becomes a free agent.
The 26-year-old has been at the centre of transfer speculation linking him to both Liverpool and Manchester United since January, but it seems the Croatian is set to put pen-to-paper at Camp Nou.
Rakitic was one of the standout performers in La Liga last season, where he led his side to fifth place as well as playing a pivotal role in the club’s Europe League final triumph over Benfica last month.
The player’s father last week admitted that he had offers from Barcelona, Atletico and Real Madrid, adding: “We will decided after the World Cup.”
However, it looks like Barcelona have stolen a march on their rivals, allowing Rakitic to concentrate on Croatia’s opening World Cup group game against Brazil next Thursday.
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