The reasons why Rakitic has rejected every chance to leave Barça
The Croatian hasn't moved yet due to family reasons and he also believes he can become important again at the Camp Nou
The 31-year-old Ivan Rakitic, who will turn 32 before the end of this season, is one of the biggest names FC Barcelona could cash in on at the moment. The World Cup runner up has had various offers presented to him, including this month, which would see him start a new chapter in his career. However, he's turned every club down.
He's rejected a move to Italian kings and Champions League contenders Juventus at the beginning of January. Barça were open to doing a deal but the Croatian said no.
The main reason behind his decision to turn down a transfer away is due to his family. They are settled in Spain, both his kids are happy in their respective schools, but there are also footballing reasons too. Rakitic believes he is capable of establishing himself in the first team under Quique Setien. Despite no longer being one of the first names on the teamsheet, he's still made 22 appearances.
Manchester United were the latest side to enquire about Rakitic's situation. With 18 months to run on his deal, Barça aren't expecting to bring in much more than €20m. Every window that passes, the more that figure drops.
For Barça, it makes sense to cash in. With younger players coming through and Rakitic recouping - and then some - on his original €16m fee, it would produce a significant windfall as the sporting department continues to search for a new striker.
The other factor in Rakitic's decision making is that he's approaching the last big contract of his career. If he allows his deal to run out, whilst Barça lose money, Rakitic can add a few extra thousand to his salary demands.
As things stand, Rakitic is expected to spend another six months at Barça. He's started two of Setien's three matches in charge so far.
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