Manchester City Transfer News: Ivan Rakitic Rumours, Latest on James Milner

Ivan Rakitic was on Manchester City’s radar during the midseason window, with reports claiming that the champions enquired about the Barcelona star.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Will Giles of Metro), City and Arsenal both asked about the Croatian’s availability in the January window. The piece says that Rakitic’s omission from Barcelona’s key matches against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain was the reason behind the enquiries.

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Here’s a look at how the 26-year-old has been faring since swapping Sevilla for Barcelona last summer:

The piece also claims that City could move for the midfielder at the end of the season, and looking at the calibre of the player, that would be understandable.

Rakitic is a wonderful football and a midfielder who would bring some majestic poise to the heart of Manuel Pellegrini’s side; he’s at his peak, too—not something that could be said for a host of the club’s current central midfield options.

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But Barcelona will not be relinquishing Rakitic any time soon. After an inconsistent start to life at the Camp Nou, he is beginning to find his rhythm in earnest. With sanctions preventing manager Luis Enrique from making any signings until January 2016, the Blaugrana wouldn’t be able to bring in a replacement either.

As such, Pellegrini may be forced to turn elsewhere as he looks to replenish his squad, but he’ll be keen to keep some key men on board, too. One of those players should be midfielder James Milner, whose long-term future with the club remains in doubt.

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According to Simon Mullock of the Daily Mirror, the England international is keen to extend his contract—which expires in the summer—at the Etihad, but City are only willing to offer a three-year deal when Milner wants four.

As noted by David Lynch of the Manchester Evening News, the club’s supporters have made their feelings clear on the matter:

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"We want you to stay!" sing the #MCFC fans to James Milner. No kidding!

— David Lynch (@DavidLynchMEN) February 11, 2015"

Milner might not boast the artistry of David Silva or the intricacy of Samir Nasri, but the 29-year-old remains a vital part of this City setup. His patented versatility means he can perform a number of roles—he shone as a striker in late 2014—with distinction, and that kind of player is crucial for any team looking to sample myriad successes.

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His ability with the ball is somewhat understated, too. Milner is a clever player who has a knack for getting into dangerous positions and playing incisive passes to team-mates. As noted by OptaJoe, as of late, he’s been sticking the ball in the back of the net himself, too:

It’s understandable that City may be unwilling to hand out a four-year deal to a 29-year-old when they already have an ageing squad, but they should make an exception for the former Aston Villa man. Milner is a manager’s dream and the kind of player who should be considered as a pillar of familiarity if an overhaul is to take place.

According to Mullock’s piece, both Arsenal and Liverpool are willing to snap up Milner if an agreement isn’t reached between the two clubs. For City to let him walk away to the betterment of a potential rival may not be the biggest transfer story of the summer, but it’d be a move they would definitely come to regret.