According to reports, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and the club have a strange agreement between them. After this summer’s bid from PSG, Barcelona and Rakitic came to an agreement, if he turns down PSG and stays at the club, he’ll be guaranteed a consistent spot in the starting eleven.
If this sounds ridiculous, it is in part. However, it ultimately makes sense in the age of player empowerment. Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde really wanted to keep the Croatian at the core of Barcelona’s midfield, but Rakitic held all the leverage in the world. The deal between the two is a simple understanding.