Sevilla are one of the teams that have been linked to the 32-year-old as they want to bring him back to the club where he played between 2011 and 2014.
Barca wants to sell Ivan Rakitic for €20 million
Barcelona initially tried to put Ivan Rakitic on sale for €20 million a month ago. But a lack of suitors has forced the club to cut their asking price in half. Sevilla are one of the teams that have been linked to the 32-year-old as they want to bring him back to the club where he played between 2011 and 2014. As reported, Rakitic, who has one year left on his contract, is now free to leave Barcelona for €10 million. The Blaugrana hope that Sevilla will take a step forward with a proposal after lowering their demands, but this could not be further from the truth. Sevilla will not budge from their starting position: they want Rakitic, but do not want to pay a fee that they consider excessive.
Sevilla will play only €4-€5 million for Rakitic
That is, for a player who no longer plays at the same level as before and is about to sign his last big contract. The Andalusian club does not want to pay more than four to five million euros. The same fee was paid for Fernando Reges’ previous year, for instance. Moreover, to compensate Rakitic for the pay cut he knows he will have to take, the new contract will last until 2024. Another factor to remember is that Valencia put Dani Parejo up for sale, Sevilla sporting director Monchi is a big fan. Now, 31 and with a salary that sits at the top of Sevilla’s pay scale, he will be a signing that could provide an instant injection of quality into Julen Lopetegui’s side.
However, only one of Parejo or Rakitic will arrive at Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Therefore, Rakitic and Barcelona came up against a competitor. Another option on the table is for the Croatian to drag his feet and see the next 12 months in Catalonia before having the freedom to choose his next team, with Sevilla also excited to welcome him back to a free in the summer of 2021. The last word belongs to Rakitic, who is waiting for a message from his great friend Monchi.