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What’s the rumour?
Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic’s future has been the subject of much speculation over the past few days. There are reports claiming that the player, targeted by Manchester United and Chelsea, could leave.
However, according to a report from Sport, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde doesn’t want to lose the Croatian.
In case you didn’t know…
Ivan Rakitic has played 2824 minutes for Barcelona so far this season and is only behind Gerard Pique, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Jordi Alba in terms of the number of minutes played for the Catalans this season.
The heart of the matter
According to the report, Ernesto Valverde’s influence is what kept Ivan Rakitic at Barcelona last summer, amid concrete interest from PSG. His team-mates are also very happy with him and want him to continue at the Camp Nou.
However, they would understand his decision to move should the Blaugrana not offer him a better contract in the summer. The report further adds that the former Sevilla midfielder’s wife also plays an important role in selecting his next destination and that she prefers Milan over Manchester or London.
Rumour rating: 7/10
Sport hail from Catalonia and do have a few contacts at the Camp Nou. As a result, they are quite reliable when it comes to Barcelona news. Also, there is nothing exaggerated in this report as it makes a lot of sense from all angles.
What’s next?
Since Valverde reveres Rakitic, he would be among the first names in the team-sheet, even if he decides to leave this summer. The Croat is crucial to the Catalans and their title hopes and both the club and the player would like to end the season on a high.
