It looks like both City and United could well be busy this January and in the case of one Barcelona midfielder with the same player in mind.
Ivan Rakitic joined the Luis Enrique Barca squad in the summer for £14m and was expected to take over long-term from Xavi in the heart of the midfield but it seems all is not well with his introduction.
The player has been criticised by fans and pundits who don’t think the player has the attributes to fit in with the Barca football philosophy and question his move from Sevilla. The player launched his professional career at Basel before moving to Schalke and then Sevilla where he made 117 league appearances and scored 27 goals from midfield.
The Croatian international despite scoring four goals in 20 appearances has been used sparingly by Enrique in more recent weeks and has even suggested he would like to move to the Premier League in January according to reports in the Express.
Manchester United are thought to have switched attention to Rakitic with the Kevin Strootman hitting a wall with concerns that despite the Champions League exit of Roma that they may not be willing to sell in January. United have put together a £20m bid for the 26-year-old midfielder but the report suggests but they may well face a challenge from Man City which push the price up.
City are looking to replace Lampard who has provided more options for City and scored some crucial goals but whose loan deal expires in January. Rakitic could well be a useful addition especially with their injury problems and the price will also be appealing.
Source: DSG
