The Catalan club officially confirmed the successful completion of negotiations with Sevilla for the acquisition of Ivan Rakitić.
The 26-year-old Croatian national team midfielder will sign a five-season contract with Barcelona.
For I. Rakitić, the Catalans will pay 18 million euros to the Andalusian team and loan out Denis Suarez, a young academy midfielder, for two seasons. An additional 3 million may be added to Sevilla's budget depending on I. Rakitić's personal achievements.
The Sevilla team will have the option to buy D. Suarez for 6 million euros, but Barcelona retained the right to block this transfer by paying 9 million euros. If the Andalusian team does not want to buy the player, he will simply return to the Catalan academy.
The previous contract of the Croatian national team player with Sevilla was valid until the summer of next year. It included a buyout clause of 40 million euros.
It is said that negotiations for the acquisition of I. Rakitić were completed by Barcelona's sports director Andoni Zubizarreta late last Monday evening in Seville. One of the leaders of the Catalan club was seen leaving the headquarters of the Andalusian team. This prompted speculation that a deal between the two clubs would indeed take place.
However, it later emerged that representatives of the Sevilla team wanted Barcelona B midfielder Denis Suarez to be part of Rakitić's deal. The Andalusians wanted to lease the player for at least one season and have the option to buy him. Official statements from both clubs regarding the Croatian's switch to Barcelona were postponed due to negotiations over the conditions of this player's loan.
Ivan Rakitić, born in Switzerland, began his football career in the youth academies of the country's Möhlin-Riburg and Basel. In the 2005-2007 seasons, he represented Basel's men's team, later spending four seasons with Schalke in Gelsenkirchen, and defending Sevilla's colors from the summer of 2011.
Rakitić became the fourth Sevilla player to move to Barcelona in recent years. In 2008, the Catalan team acquired Brazilian defender Daniel Alves and Malian midfielder Seydou Keita from the Andalusian team, and in 2010, Brazilian Adriano Correia joined Barça.
By the way, Rakitić is the second Croatian to join Barcelona this summer. On May 2, eighteen-year-old Alen Halilović, acquired from Dinamo Zagreb, officially signed a five-year contract with the Catalan club.
