Manchester United make contact with Barcelona over Ivan Rakitic?

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic before the end of the January window.

While United are closing in on the addition of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon, it has been well documented that the Premier League giants are keen on introducing fresh faces to the middle of the pitch.

Despite the recent change in the Camp Nou dugout, there is still uncertainty over the future of Rakitic, who has spent much of the campaign out of the starting lineup.

According to ESPN, United have enquired about the possibility of signing the Croatia international in the coming days.

However, the report adds that Rakitic would prefer to remain in Spain until at least the summer, suggesting that a deal is unlikely to materialise this month.

The 31-year-old has less than 18 months remaining on his contract with the Catalan side.