Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde hopes to see midfielder Ivan Rakitic stay at Barcelona this season, amidst rumours of a potential swoop from Ligue 1 giants PSG.
The Sun are reporting that PSG are set to table an offer £81m for the Croatian’s services, an offer that seems quite steep for a 30-year-old player like Rakitic.
Barcelona boss Valverde has since gone on record to state the importance the former Sevilla man has in his team as per The Sun, with the Spaniard stating:
“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. I hope that he stays here. I want to have the best players here and he is one of the best”
See More: Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez eager to see certain star replace Ousmane Dembele in Barcelona’s attack
Midfield star Rakitic joined Barcelona from Sevilla for a fee reported to be £16.2m as per The Independent.
Since joining, Rakitic has been a valuable addition for the Blaugrana, and the midfield maestro’s quality was on full display this summer as he was integral in Croatia defying the odds and reaching the World Cup final.
The former Croatian Footballer of The Year winner has since gone on to make 135 league appearances for Barcelona as well as featuring 41 times in the Champions League.
Barcelona would be wise to keep hold of Rakitic for some time to come, as the Croat will be needed if the side wish to continue their success in La Liga, and more importantly, as they look to snatch the Champions League from rivals Real Madrid’s hands this campaign.