I don’t think there has even been a claim about Ivan Rakitic leaving Barcelona for Manchester United worth getting excited over which explains why the Croatian midfielder mocked all of the transfer speculation he’s been subject to.
He’s a class player who is probably coming to the end of his spell at Camp Nou, so it makes sense to clickbait media to link him with another one of the world’s biggest football clubs.
To help you see how this works, it has always fit the narrative that United needed better midfielders, but I don’t recall any hack worth his salt link United with Rakitic.
The Croatian star’s contract at Camp Nou is up in 2021, meaning unless he is sold this summer or commits to new terms he will be allowed to leave for free next summer.
Sure, he could provide a wealth of experience in the middle of the park for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, but United aren’t buying players aged 32 anymore. The manager is clearly trying to build his team around youth.
Ed Woodward will look at Rakitic and see zero sell-on value. He’s just not a player that would appeal to United right now, and is it a team he wants to join? Solskjaer has made it clear he only wants player who will fight for the shirt. The Croatian’s next move is a cooling period before retirement. A few more years at the top before he’s finished.
Now, for those looking to add to the narrative surrounding United’s quest to sign Rakitic, put this in your pipe and smoke it. The Barcelona star hints that he could stay with the La Liga champions next season.
“I’ve got used to it [transfer speculation] a bit,” Rakitic told Sky Germany. “I’ve been here six years now — so I’ve had six years of this sort of thing.
“I have to try to understand it, to remember that football is not just a sport. There is a bit more to it. We know that, we have to try to understand it — you have a laugh about it sometimes.
“The main thing is that I feel good and I am getting good feedback from the manager and the club. I’ve still got a contract, when I sign a contract I always intend to fulfil it, and if that cannot happen for any reason, then we’ll sit down together and talk about it, but for the moment, I am very happy here and I am thinking about other stuff.”
Quotes translated by GOAL.
More interesting Rakitic quotes on his future can be found at Football Espana.
One deal United are set to complete with Barcelona includes 16-year-old Marc Jurado.
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