Ahead of Barcelona’s game against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, coach Ernesto Valverde talked about the possibility of Ivan Rakitić leaving Barcelona, which has circulated throughout international media in recent weeks.
The 30-year-old midfielder had the winning goal for Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend, which was his fifth goal against Real and proof of his importance to the Catalan team for the past five years, reports T.portal on March 9, 2019.
However, Barcelona, for the time being, does not intend to extend his contract and increase his salary, and although Rakitić revealed on many occasions that he did not want to look for a new club this summer, Spain is wondering what will happen if the Croatian footballer receives an offer that will be impossible to refuse. Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde spoke on this topic before the match against Rayo Vallecano.
“I’m not thinking about whether Rakitić is here or not next season. Not him, or anybody else,” said Valverde ofIvan, one of the most useful players on his squad.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu also recently said that Rakitić is under a contract with Barcelona and must be patient about a new deal because the current priority is Jordi Alba. Recall, the Croat’s contract expires in 2021.
”There is no rush to extend Rakitić's contract,” Bartomeu said. “He has a contract until the summer of 2021, with the option of extending it to 2022. Now we are focused on signing a new contract for Jordi Alba, who is the best left back in the world,” said Bartomeu at the SER Catalunya program.
“We will talk to Ivan, but he is not a priority. We are now focusing on the end of this season and preparing for the next one," he added.
It’s also important to note that both Inter Milan and Manchester United are hungry for the Croatian midfielder, and according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter has advanced talks to sign the Croatian midfielder. If Barcelona signs Ajax’s Frankie de Jong this summer, Rakitić may also see considerably reduced playing time at Camp Nou.
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