Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has revealed that Luka Modric had urged him to join Real Madrid when he left Sevilla in 2014.
Ivan Rakitic has revealed that his Croatian teammate Luka Modric tried tempting him into joining Real Madrid in 2014, before he chose to make the move to Barcelona from Sevilla instead. Rakitic was giving an interview to El Larguero on Cadena Ser, when he was asked on his reported links to Real Madrid.
“Before, when I was with Sevilla [Luka] Modric said to go to Madrid” Rakitic said. “But now now-… It would be more difficult now! He is a really good friend and I respect him a lot as a player and a person. We’ve spent nearly 10 years together with national team.”
Rakitic also added that Modric would fit seamlessly into the setup at Barcelona as he said, “Of course he’s capable of playing for Barca, because for me he is one of the top three players in the world in his position.”
Rakitic has established himself as one of the most consistent midfielders in Europe following his €18 million move to Barcelona in 2014. In nearly three years since the move, Rakitic has become a key figure at the centre of the park for the Blaugrana, amassing close to 150 appearances for the club.
The beginning of the current campaign did see Rakitic struggle to nail down a spot in the starting eleven, with the likes of Rafinha, Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes vying for spots in the first team. As a result, he was linked with a move away from Camp Nou, with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Juventus all being interested.
But, Rakitic made it clear that he had no intentions of leaving Barcelona and has since reclaimed his place in the starting eleven. Having become a more regular figure in the first team picture, the Croat has also penned a new deal with Barcelona that ties him up with the Catalan club until 2021.
So, Rakitic is set to continue his dream Barcelona journey after putting pen to paper on a new deal, but it could all have turned out so differently had Rakitic heeded his national teammate’s overtures to sign with Real Madrid.
The move would likely have been a success for both player and club if evidence from the Croatian national team is anything to go by, with Modric and Rakitic forging a formidable midfield partnership.
For now, though, both remain with their respective fierce rivals and will commence their on-field rivalry when the two bitter rivals face up with each other next month.
