Barcelona have plans to rebuild their midfield in the upcoming transfer window.
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Many experienced midfielders such as Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic are on the verge of leaving the club.
Ivan Rakitic is disappointed with his time at the Camp Nou. Even though the Croatian maestro is in commanding form and has displayed great fitness he has found himself on the bench. Moreover, Rakitic feels that the club’s staff and his teammates haven’t supported him when he has needed backing during a rough patch of form.
Several clubs such as Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus have shown interest to sign the 32-year-old midfielder. Rakitic is inclined to ending his career in La Liga and wants to join a club which can provide him with adequate amount of game time. Sevilla lead the race to sign the Croatian as the club has assured Rakitic that he will play a crucial role in their squad.
According to the Don Balon, Barcelona has identified Mikel Merino as a potential replacement for Rakitic. Mikel Merino is a 23-year-old central midfielder who plays for Real Sociedad in the La Liga.
The young Spanish midfielder has acted as the backbone for his side and has shown signs of maturing into a reliable player. Just like Rakitic, the young Spaniard is calm and composed on the field and can provide his side with consistency. Merino’s market value should be around 30 million euros.
Barcelona are still considering their options in the transfer market and haven’t approached Merino’s agent to discuss a potential transfer for the young Spaniard.
Do you think Barcelona should sign Mikel Merino?