Ivan Rakitic has had a dip in form for Barcelona this season and is struggling to reach the incredible heights of the past two seasons. His outstanding performances for the club since his arrival from Sevilla in the summer of 2014 have seen him rise to becoming one of the best midfielders in La Liga.
However, Neymar has left the Catalans last summer and since then, the Spanish club has been trying to secure the services of Liverpool’s Phillipe Coutinho in a bid to improve their goal-scoring and creativity from the midfield. There are now reports floating around which claim that the Catalans are willing to sacrifice Rakitic if they are successful in their attempts to lure Coutinho to Spain.
The Croatian has made a total 21 appearances for Barcelona this season but has just managed to score a single goal from the midfield. That goal came against Juventus in their 3-0 triumph over the Italians at the Nou Camp. He also has three assists to his name in this campaign.
His dip in form maybe a result of all the speculation that’s going on behind the scenes with regards to his future in Spain. The 29-old-year is under contract at Barcelona until June 2021 and still has one big move left in his career. It is expected that he won’t play second-fiddle to Coutinho if the Brazilian does arrive at the Nou Camp in January.
Let’s take a look at three possible destinations for Ivan Rakitic if the Catalans decide to cash in on him in January.
Liverpool
There are already reports going on about a possible swap deal with Liverpool for the transfer of Phillipe Coutinho to Barcelona. The Catalans are interested in using the Croatian as a makeweight in a cash plus player deal for the Reds’ midfield magician.
However, it remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old Rakitic would be interested in a move to England.
FC Schalke 04
A return to his old club might interest the Croatian with FC Schalke 04 set to lose one of their midfielder superstars in Leon Goretska at the end of the season. Ivan Rakitic will be a perfect fit for the Germans and knows the club well from his four-year stint in Germany, following his arrival from FC Basel in the summer of 2007.
The prospect of a mouth-watering midfield trio of Ivan Rakitic, Max Meyer and Yevren Konoplyanka will excite the Schalke fans as they try to mount a title challenge in the second half of the season.
Inter Milan
A move to Italy may suit the Croatian’s playing style as he tries to rediscover his old form. An exciting challenge in Milan, where he can play with his fellow international teammates, Ivan Perišić and Marcelo Brozović should be enough motivation for the former Sevilla midfielder to make a move. He can even keep in touch with another Croatian team-mate Nicola Kalinic who plays in Milan as well but for Inter Milan’s bitter rivals, AC Milan.
The Black and Blues of Milan are just two points behind league leaders Napoli and are in with a shout of winning the Serie A title. If they can add Rakitic to their ranks, Luciano Spalletti’s men will feel confident about their chances of winning silverware this season.
