Barcelona Director Confirms Ivan Rakitic Offer, Says Club Never Wanted to Sell

Barcelona sporting director Pep Segura has confirmed reports an offer came in for midfielder Ivan Rakitic during the summer but denied rumours the Catalans were open to a sale.

Speaking to Sport, Segura explained how Spain's mandatory buyout clauses can complicate possible transfers (h/t AS):

"We did not contemplate his exit. We knew that he had an option from a foreign club, but we had no interest in him going.

"In Spanish football, there's a complex weapon with the release clauses. We're the only league with [mandatory] release clauses and the danger [that the clauses are triggered] is there, but neither the club nor player wanted him to leave."

Per the report, the Croatia international was strongly linked with Paris Saint-Germain in pre-season.

It was reported that PSG could have bought out Rakitic's contract for €125 million (£110 million), but the move never came to fruition.

Rakitic has since pledged his allegiance to the Blaugrana and talked about signing a new contract, per Sport (h/t AS' Moises Llorens). The Catalans have openly denied the request for improved terms, however, as sports writer Samuel Marsden shared:

The 30-year-old was a standout for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup in the summer and has been a regular for Barcelona this season, taking on more responsibility in midfield following Andres Iniesta's departure.

He has been far from his best to start the season, although there have been high points. His goal at Wembley Stadium against Tottenham Hotspur stole the headlines, as it was one of the best strikes of the season:

The former Sevilla man faces a battle for his spot in the team. Summer signing Arthur Melo has impressed with his limited opportunities and is expected to see his playing time increase as the season wears on. 

Star prospect Riqui Puig was a pre-season standout, and it only seems a matter of time before he becomes a big part of the midfield rotation as well.

The 19-year-old has frequently trained with the first team this season despite still playing his football for Barcelona B:

But Rakitic remains a near-automatic starter for the Spanish champions, and with speculation slowing down significantly since the end of the summer transfer window, a January exit seems unlikely.