Reports: Barcelona superstar wants to leave club and has a date

What's the rumour?

Barcelona have no dearth of quality midfielders in their side. However, quite a few of their players are stepping into the twilight of their careers and want to graze fresh pastures. One such prominent player is Ivan Rakitic, who according to Gazzetta Dello Sport (courtesy: Sky Sports) is seeking an exit from the club.

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Barcelona had signed experienced campaigner Arturo Vidal from Bayern Munich and promising youngster Arthur from Gremio in the summer. They will add Frenkie De Jong to their squad in the winter transfer window for a reported sum of €75 million with a deal already being agreed between the clubs.

The heart of the matter

Ivan Rakitic's agent had earlier claimed that there is not a chance that the Croatian international will leave Spain this year. However, Gazzetta Dello Sport's report claims that Rakitic has grown annoyed with the growing competition for a starting berth at the Camp Nou and has set his eyes on a move away from the club.

Adrien Rabiot is also being heavily linked with a move to Barcelona and this would further aggravate the issue. Inter Milan are interested in bringing Rakitic to the San Siro and are reportedly willing to pay €90 million to that end.

The report further claims that Inter Milan will offer Rakitic a pay package that will see him earn around €5 million a year.

But despite all this, Ivan Rakitic has expressed his interest in extending his contract at Barcelona. The report also adds that though Rakitic is a regular feature in Valverde's starting XI, Bartomeu has said that the club's finances do not allow for a new deal to be put in place.

Rumour rating/probability: 6/10

The Italian outlet does get it right on occasion and the circumstances suggest that Rakitic could very well look for a move away from Barcelona.

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What's next?

If Adrien Rabiot also joins in the summer, Rakitic will do well to secure a move to a top club like Inter Milan where he will not have to face such intense competition to secure a spot in the starting XI. He will also stand to get a significant amount as wages at Inter Milan.