Manchester United have made fresh contact with Barcelona for the transfer of midfielder Ivan Rakitic, report Diario Sport.
The report claims that United are searching for midfield reinforcements with the anticipated departure of Paul Pogba, and the Croatian could be sold by the Blaugrana for €50m after knocking back an earlier €35m approach from United.
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.
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.
Earlier this year, Diario Sport suggested the central midfielder has attracted interest from a number of clubs including Chelsea and Inter but Diario AS highlighted how Coach Ernesto Valverde would sanction any move.
Barca do not want to increase the player’s salary at the club despite rejecting an approach from the Parisians last summer – with Rakitic reportedly claiming he had been promised a salary raise.
Rakitic has won 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 35 goals across 265 appearances.
