Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has revealed that he never had any intention of swapping La Liga for France with PSG this summer, despite the speculation.
Rakitic moved to the Camp Nou back in 2014 from fellow La Liga outfit Sevilla and he has since gone on to make over 200 appearances for the club. The Croatia international quickly became a fixture in the starting XI under Luis Enrique and he now enjoys the same status with Ernesto Valverde, who took over as manager last year.
The 30-year-old midfielder was on show at the World Cup in Russia this summer, playing a vital role as his country reached the final of the competition, where they ultimately fell to a 4-2 defeat against France to finish as runners-up.
His partnership with Luka Modric in the middle of the park for Croatia was widely acknowledged as the main reason for their success, as both men complemented each other perfectly to drive the team forward.
At club level, he enjoys a similarly good relationship with Sergio Busquets and he will surely once again have a great influence on the team as Barcelona look to challenge for trophies on all fronts once again.
According to Mercato, Rakitic had been linked with a big-money move to Ligue 1 with French champions PSG this summer, but the Croatian playmaker has spoken out on Friday to deny the rumours, as he told reporters: “Would I understand that the offer of the PSG is accepted by Barca?
“If that had been the case, we would have talked about it. It would have been necessary to see what is best for everyone.
“If the club had reached this conclusion, then maybe my position would have been different.
“The important thing is that we want to stay together. I feel very much loved by the club people and the fans. That’s why everything was fast.”
His comments today will come as a huge boost to supporters as the early stages of the 2018-19 campaign continue, given the fact that the former Sevilla star is vital in helping the team reach its full potential.
PSG are a huge club with tremendous financial clout but they are not yet genuine contenders on the European stage, whereas the Blaugrana will no doubt be challenging for the Champions League once again this season, which might have influenced any final decision for Raktic over the last few weeks.