As Jose Mourinho looks to rebuild this Tottenham squad in his image, one man who the Portuguese boss is seemingly intent on bringing to north London, is Ivan Rakitic.

According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Spurs are insisting on signing the Croatia international this summer, and that it’s Mourinho himself who is driving the interest from the Lilywhites’ side.

The report does add however that Rakitic isn’t particularly agitating for a move right now, and that even if he were to head for the Camp Nou exit, his preference may be for his former side, Sevilla.

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Whilst at 32, the central midfielder is hardly going to be the long-term solution for Spurs, he could offer them genuine creativity and class for the here and now.

Rakitic is as experienced a campaigner as they come, performing at the highest level for both Barcelona and Croatia, competing in the business end of the Champions League stages, and even being a part of a World Cup final too.

In fact, speaking as a pundit after Barcelona’s El Clasico triumph over Real Madrid, Mourinho himself said: “He’s a fantastic player at every level. He does defensive work to complement Messi and runs miles. In ball possession, he is fantastic, he is simple, he is effective. He is one of the most underrated players.”

Whilst his reported wages of £230k-per-week might be a stumbling block, Rakitic could be the kind of astute signing that adds that extra bit of quality to the Spurs ranks this summer.