ivan rakatic bid?

[Daz_Blue]

Signed 5 year deal with Barcelona

 

[jared]

Signed 5 year deal with Barcelona

Koke staying at AM then?

 

[sam-caddick]

Signed 5 year deal with Barcelona

Koke staying at AM then?

Xavi will decide his future after the World Cup apparently and I can see him leaving, if that's the case then they will go all out for Koke I suspect.

Rakitic was Fabregas' replacement.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

Song sent of for elbow on rakitic be an interesting first days training at barca now there team mates.

 

[southstandblue27]

Song sent of for elbow on rakitic be an interesting first days training at barca now there team mates.

It was on Mandzukic. Plus Song is likely to leave barca

 

[Tron Coltrane]

Daliy Express mind you, but convinced we're in on a £20m bid for Rakitic just a few months after signing a 5-year contract at Barca (<a class="postlink" href="http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/547281/Man-Utd-Man-City-Barcelona-Ivan-Rakitic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football ... an-Rakitic</a>).

I can't see much behind it, but does anyone have any first-hand knowledge of his settling (or lack there of) with the Catalans? It makes perfect sense to me that he wouldn't fit their system well. Sevilla played quickly and he has a long-range passing skillset more akin to Alonso than any of the shorter, possession-based passing that Barca has traditionally employed. Disappointing world cup this summer, but so had Modric and I wouldn't say no to him. Would've welcomed him in a heartbeat six months ago, seems crazy not to say the same now. Curious what avid La Liga watchers have to say though.

 

[Latics Fan SJK]

Daliy Express mind you, but convinced we're in on a £20m bid for Rakitic just a few months after signing a 5-year contract at Barca (<a class="postlink" href="http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/547281/Man-Utd-Man-City-Barcelona-Ivan-Rakitic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football ... an-Rakitic</a>).

I can't see much behind it, but does anyone have any first-hand knowledge of his settling (or lack there of) with the Catalans? It makes perfect sense to me that he wouldn't fit their system well. Sevilla played quickly and he has a long-range passing skillset more akin to Alonso than any of the shorter, possession-based passing that Barca has traditionally employed. Disappointing world cup this summer, but so had Modric and I wouldn't say no to him. Would've welcomed him in a heartbeat six months ago, seems crazy not to say the same now. Curious what avid La Liga watchers have to say though.

I suppose any player moving to Barcelona, particularly midfielders, who aren't used to their tippy-tappy approach (although this is less so nowadays than under the Pep guidance), could struggle to "stand-out".

He's still an excellent player and I'd imagine there'll be a host of clubs looking to sign him should he be made available for as little as £20m. I'm sure I read somewhere recently that United may have been snooping.

Alex Song is a good example of midfielders failing to shine at Barcelona. I still maintain to this day that he'd have been an excellent signing for you prior to him moving from Arsenal, and that if he's available this summer after his West Ham loan then he'd still be a good acquisition.

 

[bluechampion7891]

kind of ironic if true, selling the player brought in to replace fabregas