The case to sell Ivan Rakitic
Rakitic was a huge part of Barcelona’s treble two seasons ago, and their double last year. In just his third season since joining from Sevilla (another example of poaching from a selling club), it seems to have gone downhill.
Amid a reported fallout between Rakitic and manager Luis Enrique, only heightened by the dropping of the Croatian in recent fixtures, Rakitic announced that he’d throw himself off a bridge for his manager. How true is that, though?
Rakitic will be 29 in March, and despite the workman-like nature of the midfielder, he still has a few good years left. He could likely command somewhere between $20-30 million, and getting rid of his wages would help the process of extending Messi and Iniesta. Premier League teams like Manchester United and Manchester City have been linked. You could argue England’s faster pace and physical play would suit Rakitic, too.