Ivan Rakitic Says He Wants Barcelona Stay Amid PSG Transfer Rumours

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has made it clear he wants to stay at the club amid recent links to Paris Saint-Germain.

As noted by Ben Hayward of the Evening Standard, the French giants are said to be interested in the Croatia international, with reports suggesting they would be ready to part with around £81.5 million to sign the 30-year-old.

But speaking after Barcelona's win against Real Valladolid in La Liga on Saturday, Rakitic insisted the Camp Nou is where his immediate future lies, per Marca:

"I have had a few days to reflect a little, talk over different things, I have had four fantastic years here and I would like to stay here a long time.

"To be part of the best club in the world is as good as it gets. I speak with my wife and my representative Arturo, and there is no place where I would be better off.

"There were several clubs that enquired about me. We spoke about everything and now the decision is final. The most important thing is that I want to be here, I feel privileged to be in the best club in the world."

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Rakitic and Sergio Busquets have been mainstays in the central positions in recent years for Barca, although this summer the supporting cast has rotated.

Club icon Andres Iniesta has moved on, as has Paulinho, who was effective in a box-to-box role last term. Arthur and Arturo Vidal have been brought in to bolster this area of the team.

With those changes in mind, losing Rakitic would represent a massive blow for Barcelona, even though they may be tempted by the aforementioned amount for a player who is 30 years old. But it's clear the midfielder does still have a huge role to play for the Catalan giants.

The Barcelona Universal Twitter account suggested Rakitic is indispensable as things stand:

The midfielder is the player who links together so many of Barca's attacks, providing a bridge between Busquets and the attacking stars like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

On the ball Rakitic has so much composure—he's able to knock delicate passes into the feet of team-mates or ping long balls over the top of the defence. The Croatian blends that ability with his energetic running and tenacity in the tackle.

These figures from OptaJose sum up the kind of influence Rakitic is capable of having on a match when he's at his best:

As noted by Rafael Hernandez of Grup 14, the player is an ideal fit for the football manager Ernesto Valverde wants to play:

PSG have a stacked squad, although they do appear a little short in midfield. They would benefit most from a defensively-minded player to complement the likes of Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot.

Subsequently, it'd be a surprise if the French champions decided to spend big on Rakitic. At this point, it's not a switch the man himself appears too keen on either.