Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Ivan Rakitic from Sevilla and are prepared to pay over €10 million for his services.
Newcastle United are reportedly exploring the possibility of signing former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic from La Liga club Sevilla. That is according to Futbol Total, which claims that the Magpies are willing to pay the La Liga outfit €10 million plus add-ons for the veteran Croatian midfielder.
Despite their newfound wealth, Newcastle have so far refused to be held to ransom in the market. But as the summer transfer window draws towards its conclusion, their reluctance to pay large fees will be put to test as they try to fill the gaps in their squad.
They seemed to have bit the bullet in their search for striking reinforcement, and are set to announce the signing of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad in a blockbuster deal worth a whopping £60 million. But Eddie Howe is looking to make two more signings before the deadline day on Thursday, September 1st.
One of the positions in need is at the centre of the park, with Jonjo Shelvey looking set for an extended spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on his hamstring in a huge blow to Newcastle. He will be out for the majority of the first half of the season, prompting Newcastle to explore options at the base of the midfield, with Bruno Guimaraes more influential further forward.
? Info: El Newcastle está interesado en fichar a Iván Rakitic. El club inglés estaría dispuesto a ofrecer aproximadamente 10 M€ + variables. Thomas Delaney también tiene ofertas. #NUFC #mercato ???? pic.twitter.com/XNHpvA2B6F
— Fútbol Total (@FutbolTotalCF) August 24, 2022
They have been linked with a host of young midfield options, including OGC Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone. However, a new candidate has surfaced who is the polar opposite of the aforementioned players in terms of age. Of course, Ivan Rakitic is the man in question.
Rakitic is enjoying his second stint with La Liga giants Sevilla, having first joined the Andalusian outfit in 2011 from Schalke, spending three years at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before joining Barcelona in 2014. The veteran midfielder won everything there is to win at Camp Nou, including a famous treble in his first season, before returning to Sevilla in 2020.
Despite entering the twilight years of his career, it is safe to say Rakitic is ageing like fine wine with little signs of regression. He has featured 72 times for Sevilla in La Liga over the last two seasons, and has been one of their standout players, contributing eight goals and eight assists from the middle of the park during that period. He also played his part in Sevilla’s La Liga title challenge last season, which faltered towards the end.
Rakitic will bring a wealth of top-level experience and a winning mindset to the team, which will raise the bar in the dressing room and eventually help Newcastle achieve their target of breaking into the top-eight or grasping a European place, if possible, this season.
The veteran midfielder should still be able to do a good enough job for the Magpies in the middle of the park. He is stylistically similar to Shelvey and is a supreme playmaker. Though, as one would expect, Rakitic has waned physically in the last few seasons, and a fair few eyebrows will be raised about whether he will be able to cope with the intensity of Premier League football if he joins Newcastle United.
