Lionel Messi personally intervenes as Barcelona team-mate fears transfer raid for Manchester United star Paul Pogba

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi has reportedly got involved as the current transfer gossip linking Manchester United star Paul Pogba has caused Ivan Rakitic to consider his future.

The France international remains a target for Barcelona, say Don Balon, and that has Rakitic worried about his place in Ernesto Valverde’s side.

MORE: Manchester United to try again for €241m transfer target with €25m-a-year contract to make CL giants sweat

Messi, however, has moved to assure Rakitic that he views him as an instrumental member of this team and has also communicated this to the club, according to Don Balon’s report.

It remains to be seen how this might affect the Catalan giants’ plans to sign Pogba, who is younger than Rakitic and a slightly different style of player.

Paul Pogba in action for Manchester United this season
What does the future hold for Ivan Rakitic?

It’s not impossible to imagine there might be a way for Valverde to fit both into his Barcelona XI, though with Sergio Busquets likely to be undroppable and with Arturo Vidal only joining as another option in midfield this summer, someone has to make way.

Rakitic has been a great servant to Barca since he joined from Sevilla in 2014, and it would seem a tad harsh if the club were to try to phase him out by bringing in Pogba.

Messi will hope his intervention can do something to ensure the Croatian remains a key member of the team.

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