Barcelona must balance books – eye Rakitic, Coutinho sales

Barcelona must raise a total of €124m in player sales before the end of June 2020 to avoid risking their financial stability, say ESPN FC.

The report claims that the Blaugrana are intent on selling Philippe Coutinho – currently on a season-long loan deal at Bayern Munich – and midfielder Ivan Rakitic before that timeframe expires.

It is claimed that €124m is the required figure in transfer profit to avoid the club going into the red – a set of circumstances that could see the current board be voted out by club members.

Bayern Munich hold a €120m option to sign Coutinho permanently and they must make the Catalan club aware of their intentions before the June 30 date.

Rakitic, like Coutinho, was a player heavily linked to French champions Paris Saint-Germain over the summer but refused the move – with reports suggesting that both were offered as part of a swap deal for star forward Neymar.

Rakitic, a Croatian international, has started just one match under Ernesto Valverde this season and the report suggest the relationship between the two has ‘deteriorated’, with Inter, Juventus and Manchester United all linked to the former Sevilla captain.

Tags Ivan Rakitic Philippe Coutinho
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