Why Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic would be a terrific signing for Chelsea
With Liverpool and Manchester City realistically battling for the title this season, Chelsea and Maurizio Sarri have decided to start rebuilding their side for next season. The potential arrival of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund in summer could be met with Eden Hazard’s departure, but it could also be another summer of additions.
The Mirror has revealed that Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic is Sarri’s top summer target and the Blues are set to make a high offer to persuade him to join.
However, given that the Catalan giants have signed Frenkie De Jong after a long and drawn out transfer saga with the 21-year-old Ajax star also linked with moves to PSG, Tottenham and Manchester City, Ivan Rakitic would be open to a move. The 30-year-old central midfielder could be one of the outgoing stars once De Jong does arrive in the summer, and thus, as a result, Chelsea are keeping an eye on proceedings.
A highly talented midfielder, Ivan Rakitic played a major role alongside Luka Modric in helping Croatia get to the World Cup final over the summer and has continued his form into this season. With Barcelona looking to retain their La Liga title, Rakitic’s presence in the team has been a key, helping the team keep their lead at the top to five points between them and Atletico Madrid so far.
However, while his skill-set isn’t replaceable, the 30-year-old is also a very hard worker and his hunger for success makes him among the best in his position. These are attributes that cannot be trained or even instilled into a player, but it’s simply ones that few are born with.
For Chelsea however, Ivan Rakitic will play a key role despite the fact that he’s already 30 years old and won’t be getting any younger.
But if and when he does become available, there is a chance that Chelsea won’t be the only side in the world after the Croatian star and things could get even tougher this summer. At the moment, there is no chance a move will take place for the former Sevilla star and in all likelihood, a summer move may not even happen given how important Rakitic has been for Barcelona.
Even if Frenkie De Jong does arrive and take the Camp Nou by storm, the La Liga giants will need the Croatian star to help ease the transition and do what he does best.
