Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has given his nod to the club potentially selling Manchester United midfield target Ivan Rakitic this summer.
Rakitic has been clear about his intention to stay at Barcelona next season, but there have been rumblings in the background that the club are open to offers for him.
Manchester United have identified the 31-year-old as a possible experienced addition to the squad and have already been in touch with Barcelona to understand the conditions of possible negotiations.
Valverde met Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to discuss plans for next season and recruitment for the summer transfer window.
The Barcelona coach and the president came to an agreement over the players they will consider selling and according to Cadena SER, Rakitic is on that list.
The Croatian has been a pivotal figure at Barcelona over the last few years, but Barcelona are looking to move out players on high wages to make space for fresh recruits.
Valverde initially did not want to let him go as he considered the Croatian as essential to his squad, but he has reconsidered his position.
He is prepared to let Rakitic leave if that means Barcelona would be able to add more quality to the squad this summer.
Other than interest from Manchester United, there is no concrete offer on Barcelona’s table for the midfielder at the moment.
But the club are confident of attracting lucrative bids for Rakitic this summer.
