The Catalans could steal a march on the Reds in the pursuit of highly-rated Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic with Barca set to bid for the Croatian star.
Barcelona are preparing to gazump any Liverpool offer for Ivan Rakitic, with the Nou Camp club reportedly lining up a bid for the player, who is currently on international duty with Croatia.
According to Spanish source Mundo Deportivo, the Catalans have identified the 26-year-old as the ideal midfield addition to their squad, following a disappointing season in which Barca lost out to Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
Rakitic, meanwhile, enjoyed arguably his best season to date in Spain, helping Sevilla claim the Europa League title with the Andalusians just missing out on Champions League football during an impressive campaign under Unai Emery.
The Switzerland-born star is well travelled, having previously enjoyed a four-year spell in the Bundesliga with Schalke prior to signing with the La Liga club, and would undoubtedly be open to the idea of moving to the Premier League with Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers is keen to bring quality players to Anfield this summer, following a season in which Liverpool fell just short of claiming a first-ever Premier League title.
A key priority for the Reds this summer will therefore be to enhance the depth and quality currently available to the Merseyside club, with Rakitic representing an ideal first purchase.
But any plans to move for the Croatian could be hampered by Barcelona’s interest, with the midfielder likely to find it difficult to resist the Catalans’ overtures.
And amove for Rakitic could force Liverpool to assess some alternative options, in what is likely to be a busy summer for the Reds.
Last week, Liverpool were linked with an audacious move that would see the club swap Spanish misfit Iago Aspas for Benfica veteran Oscar Cardozo.
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