Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as firm favourites to sign Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic, amid interest from Juventus, Atletico Madrid & Sevilla.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are open to offloading Ivan Rakitic this summer. The midfielder has already been linked with a move to Juventus and Atletico Madrid. But, it seems Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as the favourites due to multiple reasons.
The Premier League giants are in a better position to meet the economic demands of Barcelona. Rakitic, himself, favours a move to England, due to both sporting and economic reasons. As a result, Spurs are leading both Juventus and Atletico Madrid in the pursuit of the veteran midfielder this summer.
The potential arrival of Rakitic makes sense for Tottenham given the fact that their star player Tanguy Ndombele has been linked with a move away from north London. Ironically, Barcelona have been one of the clubs interested in signing the Frenchman.
Ndombele joined Tottenham last summer, in a big-money move from Olympique Lyon. However, the midfielder has struggled with form and injuries. He was also a subject of criticism from Jose Mourinho earlier this year. His potential departure, therefore, might actually make sense for Spurs.
It could pave the way for Rakitic to potentially establish himself as a first-team regular at the club. He has an abundance of experience at the highest level of football, which could come in handy for an otherwise young Tottenham side.
The Croatian is also blessed with leadership qualities, having notably helped Croatia reach the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He can, therefore, act as a catalyst at the base of Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1, alongside someone like Harry Winks.
For Barcelona, the departure of Rakitic will bring them one step closer to a complete transition in midfield. The Spanish giants have already embraced both Frenkie de Jong and Arthur Melo as key first-members, leaving Sergio Busquets as the only experienced midfielder in the team.
Rakitic’s potential sale could, however, force them to sign a new midfielder, especially with Arturo Vidal linked with a move away from Camp Nou. The Blaugrana could explore the possibility of a potential swap deal between Rakitic and Ndombele, who is ideally suited to the club’s style of play under Quique Setien.
That being said, Barcelona would still need to pay a sizable fee plus Rakitic in order to attain the services of the Frenchman. Besides, it is unclear whether Mourinho will want to offload one of the most valuable members of the team, meaning it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape in the coming months.
