Atletico Madrid Set To Edge Out Manchester United In Race To Sign Ivan Rakitic

Atletico Madrid are poised to secure a deal with Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic in summer amidst interest from Manchester United and a couple of top-flight European clubs.

Rakitic is deemed to be a suitable replacement for Paul Pogba to play alongside Bruno Fernandes in the midfield. United are reportedly ready to let Pogba rejoin Juventus in a swap deal with the Italians defender, Matthijs De Ligt. The Frenchman is also linked to Real Madrid but Juve are leading the race as it stands presently.

The Croatian, 31, might just be the right player that Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is looking for considering his experience and transfer fee which the Catalan giants have valued at £17 million. With Atletico in the race, United stand not the best chance to sign the Fifa World Cup 2018 finalist.

Barcelona will not be missing Rakitic as there are just enough players to fill in the gap he would leave behind on his exit. However, he has enjoyed a fairly long spell at Nou Camp that he moved to from Sevilla in 2014. In the period of his stay at Nou Camp, he has made 299 appearances and has goals tally of 35 in all competitions.