Ivan Rakitic joined Barcelona from Sevilla to better his career. Less than six months later, the 26-year-old is dissatisfied with his playing time and is already looking for an exit from the Nou Camp. According to the Express (via Goal Transfer Talk), Manchester United and Manchester City want to make use of the situation.
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Per the report, both clubs are ready to play €25 million.
Unfortunately for the city of Manchester, the rumor holds no weight. Only six players have played more league minutes than Rakitic in 2014: Claudio Bravo (1,350), Lionel Messi (1350), Sergio Busquets (1,150), Jordi Alba (1,072), Dani Alves (1,070) and Jeremy Mathieu (1,067). Rakitic is seventh with 982.
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That's 67 more minutes than Neymar, who's battled injuries since returning from the 2014 World Cup.
Even more contradicting to the report is Rakitic's 11 out of 15 league starts. There is no lack of playing time for the Croatian international, and there isn't a lack of productivity, either. In addition to his three goals, Rakitic is averaging a modest 1.4 tackles and 1.1 key passes.
A recent dip in form is likely the cause for rampant speculation, but it hasn't been enough to deter his spirits.
"We have to fight for what's left," he said (via Inside Spanish Football). "And there's a lot left because the evolution of this team has been a positive one. The evolution is positive and that's why we need to analyze this game [against Getafe] and come out strong in the next game."
The next game and opportunity for both Barcelona and Rakitic is Dec. 20 against Cordoba.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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