Barcelona are reportedly open to selling veteran midfielder Ivan Rakitic should a satisfactory offer arrive before the end of the transfer window.
According to a report from Spanish publication AS, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde will sanction a sale for Croatian international Ivan Rakitic if the La Liga champions receive a satisfactory offer for the midfielder before the transfer deadline day.
Rakitic has been with Barcelona since 2014 and has established himself as one of the world’s best in his position during his time with the Catalan giants. An ever-present in the side during his time at the club, the 2018 World Cup finalist is staring at the possibility of missing out on his regular starting berth following the arrival of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax.
The 31-year-old wasn’t part of the starting XI for Barcelona’s first two league games of the 2019-20 season. Sergio Busquets is a guaranteed starter in the deepest of the three midfield slots, while Arthur Melo, de Jong and Sergi Roberto are competing for the other two slots along with academy graduate Carles Alena.
All this has cast a certain degree doubt on his future at Camp Nou, although the midfielder has insisted that he wants to stay at Barcelona.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde is a staunch admirer of Rakitic and was believed to have been keen on holding on to the seasoned campaigner, despite the wealth of options at his disposal in the middle of the park. However, as per the report from AS, the former Athletic Bilbao boss is now willing to green-light a transfer for the 31-year-old, should a satisfactory offer arrive.
There had been reports of interest from Premier League giants Manchester United earlier in the summer, but with the transfer window in England already closed, that is not an option anymore. Inter Milan were also believed to be pushing for a move for the 31-year-old, although there has been little progress made on that front.
Recently though, Serie A champions Juventus have emerged as a potential destination with the Bianconeri considering a swap deal involving Emre Can for Rakitic.
Rakitic is contracted with Barcelona till the summer of 2021. While he remains insistent that he is happy at the club and wants to fight for his place, the club seem to be actively looking to offload the midfielder. With less than a week left for the European transfer window to slam shut, it remains to be seen whether the Croatian ends up staying at Barcelona or departs for some other club.
