Rakitić could be nearing return to Seville

Croatian national team player Ivan Rakitić appears to be moving closer to a return to Seville, as Spanish media underline his days in Barcelona may be numbered.

According to reports, Rakitić could merely be a bargaining chip in Barcelona’s ambitions to land Brazilian defender Diego Carlos, a player who has a 75 million-euro release clause.

The 32-year-old Rakitić, who is under contract with Barcelona until next summer, has fallen out of the regular rotation for the reigning Spanish League Champions. Seville is a tantalizing possibility for the veteran, a team he played for to great success between 2011 and 2014.

The Croat has been a mainstay on the men’s national team since 2007. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Rakitić scored the winning penalty kick in the penalty shoot-out against Denmark, as Croatia progressed to the quarter-final. One week later, Rakitić again scored the winning penalty kick in the penalty shoot-out against Russia, which advanced Croatia into the semi-final. Croatia reached the final of the World Cup, losing to France 4:2.

Source: HRT