Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic already has a verbal agreement in place to join Juventus this summer, according to reports.
Marca cite a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport claiming the player has already given the Bianconeri his word, following on from Diario Sport saying the Blaugrana are willing to sell him this year.
The Croatian international’s current deal at the Camp Nou runs through until the summer of 2021 although Barca signed midfielders Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo last summer and have a deal to sign Frenkie De Jong from Ajax this summer.
A report in Diario AS last week had claimed the midfielder will remain at the club and highlighted how trusted he is by boss Ernesto Valverde.
However, ESPN FC subsequently refuted these claims and this latest report believes such good will does not extend to the club’s boardroom.
Last month, El Mundo Deportivo cited a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport that Rakitic had agreed a deal to join Italian club Inter when the transfer window reopens.
Reports say the club had agreed a €90m sale to Paris Saint-Germain last summer but this was rejected by the player himself.
His agent Arturo Canales is reported to have said that the midfielder would not be leaving the club this summer although the Spanish media have cast doubt upon such claims.
Last month, Diario Sport suggested the central midfielder has attracted interest from a number of clubs including Chelsea and Inter.
Barca do not want to increase the player’s salary at the club despite rejecting an approach from Paris Saint-Germain this summer – with Rakitic reportedly claiming he had been promised a salary raise.
Rakitic is aiming to win his fourth league title in five years with Barca, whom he joined from Sevilla in the summer of 2014 for a reported €18m.
The Croatian has also won four Copa del Rey titles and the Champions League in that time, scoring 33 goals across 253 appearances.
