Man City & Man Utd chase Barca star

Manchester City and Manchester United are ready to do battle for Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic in the January transfer window.

The Daily Express claims the 26-year-old is unhappy at having to play second fiddle to Xavi Hernandez in boss Luis Enrique’s midfield, despite having featured in 11 La Liga games this season, and would welcome a move to the Premier League.

The Croatia international joined Barca in the summer from Sevilla for a reported fee of €18m, having been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but it is understood that Enrique is yet to be convinced he fits into the Catalans’ style of football.

Reds’ boss Louis van Gaal is keen to bring extra quality into his midfield after being told that Roma will not part with Kevin Strootman and a €25m bid for Rakitic is believed to be on the table.

Nonetheless, City boss Manuel Pellegrini is also tracking the player and will need to replace Frank Lampard, whose loan deal at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire in January.

Tags Manchester City Manchester United Rakitic
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