According to The Guardian, Everton are ‘slightly interested’ in Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic as manager Marco Silva looks to beef up his midfield following the departure of Idrissa Gueye.

While the Toffees have identified Mainz 05 star Jean-Philippe Gbamin as the perfect man to succeed the Senegalese, they could still need more additions in midfield with Morgan Schneiderlin and James McCarthy linked with summer exits.

Rakitic has established himself at Barcelona since his arrival from Sevilla, but has been constantly linked with a departure this summer.

The arrival of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax could threaten his role at the Camp Nou, but the Croatian international seems ready for the new challenge and wants to prove himself.

While a move to Everton is almost very unlikely, especially considering that they don’t offer European football at the moment, snapping up the Europa League and Champions League-winning midfielder will be a huge boost for the Goodison Park outfit.

At 31, Rakitic represents a short-term option, though, but he brings more than enough experience and quality to the table.

The Toffees’ owner and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is looking to turn the club into a big-six side, and is looking to make statements of intent with his signings.