According to Milano based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the rumors linking Ivan Rakitic to Inter are true and it appears that the Croatian midfielder was the one who asked Barcelona President Bartomeu to leave this Summer.
“This is a clear message that shows his willingness to join the Nerazzurri. Rakitic has caught Steven Zhang’s interest as well. For the past few days there have been constant rumors in Spain about Rakitic’s dissatisfaction at Barcelona, which is what led his name to be linked to a new club in Italy.”
The reason for Rakitic wanting to leave Barcelona is the imminent arrival of Frenkie De Jong from Ajax, which has already been officially confirmed aa well as Adrien Rabiot from PSG, which has not been made official yet.
According to the report Rakitic’s wife Raquel and brother Dejan are considering all possible options and reflecting on the future. Dejan has been his agent since he first moved to Spain and has taken care of everything for him.
With the name of Luka Modric being constantly linked to Inter, it is likely that sooner or later Inter will have to make a choice between the two Croatians. Waiting for the Ballon d’Or winner could be risky though, therefor the track leading to Rakitic’s signing seems more realistic.
“How much will the midfielder cost? He currently has a €125 million euro release clause, but obviously an unhappy player loses some of his value and the price will definitely reflect that, perhaps closer to €30 million euros. Another important aspect to consider is that Rakitic makes €5 million euros plus bonuses, another hurdle that Inter will have to deal with.”
