According to Daily Mail, as cited by Sport, a Tottenham switch could be on the cards for Ivan Rakitic. The Barcelona midfielder is widely expected to leave Nou Camp, especially following the club’s 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. Although Sevilla are interested in his services, Rakitic is expected to play football outside of Spain, with Spurs emerging as an appealing destination.
More selection dilemma in the number ten slot?
The report suggests that Rakitic is being identified as the ideal replacement for Christian Eriksen, who had left the club in January in favour of an Inter Milan move.
Eriksen’s departure has created a massive void in the club’s creative unit, and Dele Alli’s subsequent fall from grace didn’t help either. However, a closer observation would suggest that Rakitic will be better fitted elsewhere.
In fact, Spurs may already have an able Eriksen replacement in the shape of Giovani Lo Celso. The Argentine, after a disappointing start to his Premier League career, has emerged as one of the club’s best performers this past season.
Besides, both Alli and Lo Celso are set to compete for the number ten role at Spurs next season, meaning it would be ideal for Mourinho to deploy Rakitic in a deeper role. The fact that the Croatian can feature in that attacking midfield role is a major boost for the Tottenham boss, however.
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 02: Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 02, 2019, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
How can Rakitic improve the Spurs midfield?
One of the reasons why Rakitic can be an ideal central midfielder for Tottenham is because he can provide variety to the table.
Over the past few years, the Lilywhites have appeared too one-dimensional in midfield, especially following the departure of Mousa Dembele. But in the signing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Mourinho has added some much-needed industry and aggression that could be necessary for their second line of press.
Rakitic, in that regard, could be a perfect partner to Hojbjerg in the double-pivot. His technical prowess and a brilliant range of passing should combine well with the robust and hard-working nature of the Dane, thus adding another dimension to the Spurs midfield.
Additionally, the Barcelona midfielder is an upgrade over Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele when it comes to passing in between the lines. It essentially means that the Croatian can dictate the play better and help ease the team’s transition game, which could be useful for the Tottenham side, who have now embraced a counter-attacking brand of football under Mourinho.
Therefore, the north London giants must do everything they can to get their hands on Rakitic this summer as their overhaul under the new manager continues.
