Jose Mourinho is having to re-build much of Manchester United’s team.
It’s fair to say that Jose Mourinho hasn’t enjoyed the best start as Manchester United manager.
Just as fans were expecting to see the back of three underwhelming seasons, a litany of players have endured either injury or poor form during the early months of the current campaign.
Not only do United look vulnerable at the back, but at times Mourinho’s side look impotent upfront. There are also issues in midfield, where Paul Pogba has yet to find his best form, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggling to break into Mourniho’s starting XI.
This has left the Manchester United manager relying on players like Marouane Fellaini.
It is little wonder therefore why Mourinho seems to be on the look-out for additional midfield cover, and according to Mundo Deportivo, the Portuguese boss has focused his attention on Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic.
Although the 28 year-old’s contract with the Catalan club is not set to expire until the summer of 2019, neither he or Barcelona appear to be in a hurry to broach the subject of a new deal.
Man United are trying to steal Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona [Mundo Deportivo] https://t.co/X7WaHQmcZp pic.twitter.com/DxXSE0sqZJ
— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) November 11, 2016
The arrival of Andre Gomes angered Rakitic’s agent over the summer, creating further competition for places and increasing the chances of his departure.
Nevertheless, Mundo didn’t quote a transfer fee in their story, only stating that United were willing to offer the midfielder a sizable annual salary of £8.6 million.
Such is Rakitic’s ability however, he might be worth such an outlay.