Chelsea are eyeing a move for Barcelona midfield ace Ivan Rakitic.
The Premier League giants are keen to bulk up their midfield options, with Rakitic eyed as a potential target next summer – according to Sport.
The Croatian international faces an uncertain future at his current club after Barcelona confirmed the arrival of Frenkie de Jong and with Adrien Rabiot also a target, a move away from Nou Camp could be on the horizon. But, is he an ideal player for Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea?
Ivan Rakitic: The missing piece in the jigsaw?
Following an underwhelming campaign under Antonio Conte, new coach Sarri has been able to reshape the Chelsea squad, particularly in the midfield department where the duo of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have performed incredibly well.
However, Mateo Kovacic’s loan spell will expire at the end of the season and Ross Barkley has been in and out of the team failing to capitalise on his chances, leaving Sarri devoid of options in that extra midfield slot in his preferred 4-3-3 formation.
Rakitic, in that regard, could turn out to be the missing piece in the jigsaw as the Barcelona star is gifted with a plethora of skillset that will allow him to be a perfect fit under Sarri’s tactical setup at Chelsea.
For one, the Croatian international is blessed with immense technical quality and is highly proficient when it comes recycling possession and linking up with his teammates. This will help him thrive in Sarri’s possession-based game.
Another key characteristic of Rakitic’s game is that he can push the opposition back with his driving runs from midfield and the fact that he is an excellent ball-carrier certainly helps him in that regard.
Therefore, Rakitic can be a useful addition for Chelsea not only in midfield but also in the final third, where the 30-year-old can make himself an additional passing option for the attackers as well as thread through balls in behind the defence – ultimately injecting more creativity into Chelsea’s offensive game.
Furthermore, the former Sevilla star is a reliable option from set-pieces and a definite threat from long-range – both of which will often come useful, especially against oppositions who keep 10 men behind the ball when facing a team like Chelsea.
Thus, Rakitic is someone who can definitely make the Blues title contenders next season, although it’s only fair to point out that they will face stiff competition in the pursuit of this Barcelona star, with Manchester United and Arsenal also interested.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored