Ivan Rakitic left Sevilla as captain after winning the European League title in 2014 and he is now returning to the former club. The Croatian national team player should sign a three-year contract, and a medical examination and signing of the contract is expected soon.
Rakitic changed the board this summer and persuaded Barcelona to let him go, while he refused a transfer to Juventus for the winter. Barcelona should receive 20 million euros in compensation with transfer bonuses.
Recording 310 appearances with 35 goals and 42 assists, the midfielder has spent the last six years at the Camp Nou. Though, recently, he has been under growing criticism from Barcelona fans and at the mercy of former coach Ernest Valverde, with whom he often started games from the bench.
Now that the departure is nearing finalization, BBC journalist Andy West, who specializes in following La Liga, stopped on Rakitic’s defense on Twitter.
“Rakitic’s move to Sevilla is a good move for everyone, but he should remain in the fond memories of Barcelona fans. He has unfairly become a scapegoat for much more far-reaching failures in recent years and it must not be forgotten that he was a key player in the 2014/15 season. when Barcelona won the triple crown,” West wrote in addition.
“He did dirty work in the midfield and operated on the right side which gave Messi the freedom to play on the wing. He helped build the magic of MSN (Messi, Suarez, and Neymar). A selfless team player,” the BBC journalist added.
