Why Ivan Rakitic Will Be Vital for Barcelona Challenging on All Fronts This Year

Times are changing at FC Barcelona. The arrival of new manager Luis Enrique, as well as several new faces, means the Catalans will be heading a fresh direction and the players must be ready to adapt.

Legends like Xavi will be playing smaller role this year, and that means other stars must be ready to step up. While there is certainly pressure on several of the Blaugrana players, it is absolutely vital that new signings make their presence felt early on.

One new face that will be vital for La Blaugrana this season is former Sevilla captain Ivan Rakitic.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

The Croatian midfielder is walking into the Barcelona squad with giant shoes to fill. He will likely be taking Xavi’s place in the regular lineup with the La Masia graduate playing a lesser role this year, and that means Rakitic will have to bring his best to the Camp Nou.

Rakitic brings a new dynamic to the Barcelona squad with his strengths and style of play, and those abilities will be important if the Catalans are to compete for titles this season.

To begin with, the 26-year-old is a more than capable passer. He may not be at the same level of Xavi, but has has already proven on multiple occasions that he can orchestrate play in the middle of the pitch.

On top of his passing ability, Rakitic is also able to provide defense coverage. Though the Croatian is not a box-to-box-style player, he can do it all in the center of the pitch.

During his time at Sevilla, Rakitic showed the world that he is class midfielder. Capable of scoring goals, creating chances and building up play, the 26-year-old was a great addition to the Camp Nou outfit. His skill set is unique in the Barcelona squad and will be important under Luis Enrique’s new system.

Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

Barcelona will need their new midfielder to be at the top of his game if they want to compete on all fronts this year. The club has changed a lot since last season, and Rakitic will be relied on the be the brains of the midfield.

While Sergio Busquets reads the game and provides cover, Andres Iniesta will be looking to create space in attack. That leaves Rakitic in the pivotal role of creating chances and making sure possession is cycled smoothly behind the attack.

Xavi has done a fantastic job of this during his time at Barcelona, but a lot of the responsibility now falls on the shoulders of the Croatian. The midfielder will be different this year, but maybe that is a good thing because Barcelona is looking to adapt after consecutive underachieving seasons.

Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

When it really comes down to it, Barcelona needs Rakitic to play a major role because that is exactly why they brought him in this summer. The former Sevilla standout has already achieved amazing things and La Blaugrana knew they needed something fresh and unique heading into this new era.

There is no doubting the talent of Rakitic, but fans will have to be patient to see just how he fits into the new system. He will have to learn a lot, but if all goes as expected, what he will bring to the club could be the very changes needed to lift silverware this year.

How big of a role will Ivan Rakitic play this season? Will he be able to lead Barcelona to titles alongside his new teammates? Leave your thoughts and comments below!