- One of Manchester United’s transfer targets could make himself available
- Barcelona’s pursuit of Philippe Coutinho has worried Ivan Rakitic
- Jose Mourinho was recently linked with a bid for the Croatian midfielder
- MORE: (Image Gallery) Nine Super Hot El Clasico WAGS
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic may have handed a boost to Manchester United with reports he’s threatened to leave if his club end up sealing the transfer of Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
Don Balon reported yesterday that Barca were confident of finally landing Coutinho in January, and have prepared him a contract to make him their second highest earner.
On top of that, Diario Gol now claim the deal could have repercussions for the rest of the Premier League, with Rakitic telling the Catalan giants he’ll leave if Coutinho comes in.
While it remains to be seen if United are definitely still interested, this follows recent claims from Diario Gol that Jose Mourinho was prepared to try to sign the Croatia international in a swap deal involving Anthony Martial.
MORE: Manchester United transfer news
Rakitic has shone during his time at Barcelona, though it’s easy to see how his place could come under threat with the arrival of another creative midfield player.
Ernesto Valverde’s midfield is already a pretty crowded place with the likes of Paulinho, Rafinha, Denis Suarez and Arda Turan also competing for a place in the side.
Coutinho has often played further forward for Liverpool, but seems more likely to take an Andres Iniesta-style role for Barca due to Ousmane Dembele’s presence on the left of the front three.
Either way, Diario Gol clearly feel Rakitic is unsettled by the interest in the Brazil international, so Mourinho may want to take note.