Barcelona’s summer exodus plan starts to take shape.
Barcelona and Sevilla have come to terms over the transfer of Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic. The Catalan side released a statement confirming the news as well as details of the agreement.
Sevilla paid a transfer fee of €1.5 million and could pay an additional €9 million in variables.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
The club thanked Rakitic for his service and there will also be a press conference and farewell ceremony for the player.
Sevilla posted on their social media the return of Rakitic welcoming him back home.
🚨 @ivanrakitic returns home, he is a #SevillaFC player once again! 🇭🇷👱♂️
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) September 1, 2020
Welcome back, Ivan! 🏠🏟️#vamosmiSevilla #WeareSevilla
Rakitic was one of the players that was seemingly not in Ronald Koeman’s plans and had been linked with a move back to Sevilla for some time now.
He had also been linked with a move away ahead of last season with reports of a possible player swap deal with Juventus. Premier League teams were also interested but Rakitic’s preferred choice was to go back to Sevilla. His wish seemingly has come true.
Rakitic leaves Barcelona after six seasons.
Barcelona signed Rakitic back in 2014 for €18 million. He had just come off winning the Europe League with Sevilla and was the first signing for then manager Luis Enrique.
While not brought in as a direct replacement for Xavi Hernandez, he did eventually become the starter over the club legend. He was crucial in that 2014-15 season and scored the opening goal in the Champions League final against Juventus.
He was a pivotal player under Luis Enrique but the latter years under Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien, his deficiencies were becoming quite clearer. Age caught up to him and he wasn’t the same player as when he first arrived.
While he became the ire of frustration for a number of Barcelona supporters, he was not the sole problem on the pitch. He was versatile and was used in central midfield when Sergio Busquets was unavailable.
Given how desperate Barcelona are to turn over their squad and sell aging players, the transfer fee is what it is. They could have sold him after the 2018 World Cup but chose not to.
Rakitic is the first domino to fall but is unlikely to be the last. He leaves having won pretty much everything with Barça and in the process becoming the foreigner with the fourth most appearances for the club.