The dressing room of Sevilla are hopeful the club re-sign their former captain Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona this summer.
That is according to a report in ABC, as cited by Diario Sport, claiming that the central midfielder ‘would be welcomed with open arms’ at the Andalusian club.
Earlier this month, the front page of Seville-based Estadio Deportivo, as cited by Diario Sport, reports how it is a case of ‘Sevilla or nothing’ for the central midfielder, who captained the club to the 2014 Europa League title.
The Croatian international’s deal runs out at the Camp Nou in the summer of 2021 and his preference is for a return to the Andalusian club, whom he captained to the Europa League title in 2014.
The player’s wife is a native of Seville – the two met when he joined the club from Schalke – and he is said to be keen to return the city.
The 31-year-old has clocked up 298 appearances for Barcelona since his switch from Seville in the summer of 2014 and he has won a plethora of trophies – including four La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey trophies and the 2015 Champions League title.
The Croat has been consistently linked with a move away from the Camp Nou this season, despite the player himself previously stating that he wished to remain at the club.
Indeed, according to a report in Cadena Ser from February, it was said that the Blaugrana were keen to sell the midfielder in January.
Rakitic has struggled for first-team minutes this season – initially under Ernesto Valverde and now Quique Setien – with Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Arthur Melo, Arturo Vidal, Riqui Puig and Sergi Roberto among the players selected in those positions.
Atletico de Madrid, Juventus and Napoli have all been linked with a move this summer.
