Everton plotting an ambitious swoop to sign this 31-year-old La Liga stalwart is unlikely to yield positive results

Why Everton should avoid signing Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona

According to a report from the Guardian, Everton are interested in Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic this summer.

The Croatia international, 31, has fallen down the pecking order at the Nou Camp. He has two years remaining on his current deal and the club will not renew his contract, so Barcelona could sell the midfielder this summer.

Manchester United are also believed to be interested in Ivan Rakitic but perhaps most surprisingly Everton have been included too, with the report adding the Toffees with ‘slight interest’.

Everton managed to find a winning formula towards the end of the season under Marco Silva. Despite the strong end to the year, Silva is still keen on improving his squad ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. The incomings have been slow, though, with Jonas Lossl, Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph all being signed so far.

But just a week before the transfer deadline, the Everton tactician has lost the reliable Idrissa Gueye to Paris Saint-Germain.

While the Merseysiders currently have the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Davies, Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph and James McCarthy at their disposal, Silva needs to find an adequate replacement to fill the void left by Gueye’s exit.

But Ivan Rakitic cannot be that player to replace Gueye at Goodison Park. A technically gifted player, Rakitic can control the tempo of the game from the middle of the park. He is adept at starting attacks for his side from deep inside his own half.

The Croat has volumes of European experience and has won almost everything with Barcelona, but he is no longer the dynamic presence in the midfield Everton are looking for.

At 31-years old, Rakitic doesn’t match Marcel Brands’ recruitment policy as the Everton Director of Football prefers to sign, young talents with high potential and re-sale value.

Having just sold the 29-year-old Gueye to PSG, it doesn’t make any sense spending sky-high on someone like Rakitic, who has entered his 30s and has started showing signs of slowing down.

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Plus, the ex-Sevilla and Schalke man isn’t the same type of player as Gueye, meaning Rakitic cannot be termed as a direct replacement for the Senegal international. Instead, Silva and Everton should target a young, promising talent to fill the gap left by Gueye.

Verdict

Thus, Everton shouldn’t splash the cash to sign Rakitic from Barcelona this summer.