It’s incredible how quickly things can change in football. It was only a matter of weeks ago when Ivan Rakitic was being talked about for a January transfer as he found himself as an outcast from the Barcelona squad.
That might not be the case anymore. He started the game against Mallorca last night and a report from Football-Espana has indicated he’s fully committed to Barca.
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They quote an interview that he gave to Marca, where he said the following:
“I have worked hard and continue to do so, as I have always said there is no better place for me than here at Barcelona. I want to continue to win titles here, and I will give my all for the team.”
The report goes on to suggest that he’s looking to stay at Barca despite possible interest from Inter Milan and Juventus for a possible transfer.
Incredibly, they even indicate that he’s currently placed to start in the clash with Real Madrid in a couple of weeks. It seems that his place in the team might depend on Arthur’s fitness, but the Brazilian has been missing for a few games this year so it’s possible the Croatian will get a run of games to win his place back.
That’s not to say everything is completely settled. We’ve seen how quickly things have changed in a positive way for Rakitic, but if Arthur returns to fitness and plays well then he might find himself out of the team again.
It’s worth keeping an eye on how much he plays in the next few weeks to see if those rumours of a January move might surface again.