Barcelona shut the door on Ivan Rakitic transfer amid PSG interest. They are not contemplating the sale of Ivan Rakitic to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona midfielder Rakitic has emerged as a shock target for PSG. PSG are plotting a Champions League glory under new boss Thomas Tuchel. The French champions are interested in the 30-year-old Croatian. They look to add a third top-class central midfielder to their ranks to complement Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot.
Ivan Rakitic is one of Barcelona’s best players. He should not be allowed to leave, according to head coach Ernesto Valverde. Rakitic signed a new contract with Barcelona just last year. And he is under contract until 2021, with a release clause of €125 million.
Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly lining up an €90 million bid for the 30-year-old midfielder. Rakitic’s demands have risen as he was part of the Croatia side that reached the World Cup final. But according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s chief Josep Maria Bartomeu told the Ligue 1 giants that Rakitic will only be able to leave if they meet his release clause.
Relations between the two clubs are still strained given what unfolded a year ago. Barcelona were hellbent on signing Marco Verratti. They were convinced that he could be their long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta. But PSG, fuming at their approach, then triggered Neymar’s £200m release clause to bring him to France.
Meanwhile, speaking yesterday, Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde opened up on Rakitic’s future. He said: “He is a fundamental player for us and I am counting on him due to what he does for us, the importance he had for the team last season was clear. Look at his statistics. We all know what he does for the team but just as we analyse players from other teams, other teams analyse our players. But I hope he stays here, there is no doubt about that.”
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