Chelsea preparing to launch transfer bid for £58m Barcelona superstar as the club eyes Fabregas replacement

Chelsea have identified Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas, with a summer approach already in the works, according to Diario Sport. The 30-year-old star is currently valued at £58 million, as per Transfermarkt, which is a reasonable price for a player with his reputation at the highest level, however, he did recently declare his intention to remain at the Camp Nou. “If I am here [at Barcelona], it’s to play,” Rakitic told Mundo Deportivo on Monday, as per Metro Sport. “If anything has to change, we will speak. I have a lot of confidence. I know what I can give. I know who I am. “I want to be here and, if I can renew, to be here for even more years. I am really happy here, everyone knows it, above all the ‘Presi’ [president]. I have nothing else to say.” The purchase of Rakitic would go a long way to helping the club achieve their goals.

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