Complete breakdown of relationship between Rakitic and Barcelona
The club don't understand why the midfielder is so reluctant to listen to offers
If Barcelona and Ivan Rakitic end on good terms, it will be a miracle. Right now, the relationship between the two parties is at its lowest following his 2014 arrival. There have been almost six years since then and the player is, economically, more than paid for. However, his time at the club has reached its end after a season in which he didn't count for Ernesto Valverde and has not been a regular for Quique Setien. It's time to fina and exit, but each party has a different stance and an agreement seems unlikely. It's war and the Croatian, with a contract until 2021, has the upper hand.
Rakitic's tactic is simple: let time past in search of a juicy exit for him on an economic level. The reason, according to internal sources, for reaching this point is the hypothetical promise that he would be given an improved contract by Barça. That never arrived. Rakitic signed his current deal in March 2017. Since then, nothing. A lot of conversations but little action. Barça now want to sell the player and he has his own plans. The two postures are completely antagonistic.
REJECTED OFFERS
Barcelona don't want to force a player to make a decision against their will. That is clear. But they are obliged to find one that matches their interest. In that sense, last summer they translated an offer to Ivan Rakitic from PSG that seemed irresistible, but it wasn't seen that way by Rakitic, who preferred to stay at Camp Nou. Last December, there was an offer from Italy worth 40 million euros. Juventus were the closest to convincing the Croatian, although Barça are convinced it was never an option for the player. Simply put, Rakitic has not wanted to leave because his only desire is to return to Sevilla.
TOUGH POSTURES
The relationship between Barça and the footballer has been hit hard because the Croatian is in charge and it depends on him accepting an offer to leave. He wants to go back to the Sanchez Pizjuan because he has a house there and his wife is from there. But Sevilla do not want to pay a fee so, at the moment, it's likely that he leaves for free next summer. It will be then when, in January of next season, he can negotiate freely with any club. The less Sevilla have to spend on a fee (they hope nothing), the more they can offer Rakitic.
There seems to be no out following Rakitic's recent comments: "I will decide my own future. I am not a sack of potatoes."
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