After a goalless draw with Borussia Dortmund, FC Barcelona produced yet another underwhelming display, losing 2-0 to Granada in La Liga. The Spanish champions were clueless and struggled even to penetrate the Granada defence properly, amassing only one shot on target.
One of their worst performance from that game was Ivan Rakitic. The Croatian international started ahead of Arthur Melo in midfield but failed to influence the game. And it leads to suggestions as to whether or not Barcelona should finally get rid of Rakitic in the upcoming January transfer window.
Rakitic’s horrendous display against Granada
Rakitic started alongside Frenkie de Jong and Sergi Roberto at the base of Barcelona’s 4-3-3 setup. And while de Jong was one of the better performers, it was Rakitic who lacked communication with his teammates. He was, at times, quite isolated and was identified as a weak spot in the Barca build-up.
Even against Borussia Dortmund, the Croatian made a couple of needless fouls including a handball. He also looked out of place dealing with the likes of Axel Witsel and Marco Reus. It is, therefore, no wonder that the midfielder has featured in only 126 minutes of league football this campaign.
An ageing midfielder
One of the reasons that could tempt Barcelona to sell Rakitic is that he is already nearing the final stage of his career. Indeed, the ex-Sevilla star will turn 32 during the final phase of the ongoing campaign while his current contract expires at the end of next season.
That means Barcelona could run the risk of losing him for a cut-price next summer. On that note, it would perhaps be a wiser decision from the Catalan giants to get rid of him in the upcoming January transfer window.
A lot of clubs including Manchester United showed interest in signing Rakitic in the summer. And the Red Devils could still remain keen on securing the services of the Croatian, given their ongoing problems in the midfield department.
What are Barcelona’s alternatives?
Barcelona have a more than adequate midfield department, boasting the services of players like de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo, among many others.
As a matter of fact, Rakitic’s departure will pave the way for the younger guns like Carles Alena and Riqui Puig to play a more prominent role in the senior side. Puig, in particular, is making a lot of headlines while playing for the Barcelona B team for the past 12 months.
