We need to sell Rakitic this summer. With FDJ coming, Arthur in need of even more regular minutes next season to fully complete his integration into the squad/lineup, Vidal also proving himself very much needed of adding something different into our squad, and Roberto not only able to play, but actually being more useful in that right midfield role, since his 1 on 1 defending and speed, which should be full back's biggest strengths, but with Roberto they are his biggest weaknesses, and if Wague continues to improve and gets promoted (which in all honesty he seems to be ready for), we'll have that extra option for RB, then Roberto can play in midfield even more regularly. Oh, and almost forgot Alena, who is even more vital to get many more minutes next season, if we want him to continue improving and eventually possibly developing into starter material for us.
And most importantly, we need all these players to be equal in the eyes of our manager, so their minutes are all fairly divided on the pitch, no special treatment. And that will never happen as long as EV's wife keeps hogging all the minutes himself. Even Busquets needs to be rotated regularly starting next season, much less Rakitic, who isn't nearly as important and influental for our club as Busquets is, being a home grown player and the only remaining member of our golden generation alongside Pique and Messi, so I don't see us selling him.
So selling Rakitic is a MUST this summer, no matter what Valverde says. If he doesn't like it, he can leave too (he won't be here fore more than the next 2 years anyway). So we might as well sell Rakitic now, while he's still worth something substantial, not wait for 2021 to sell him for peanuts back to Sevilla, just so that Valverde can keep using him these remaining two years, that he'll be here for, and run him completely down to the ground, form and quality-wise, while one or even two of our great young talents like Alena, Arthur, FDJ and Puig possibly get tired of waiting for their chance of being a regular starter and leave until then.
Selling Rakitic this summer is vital, even if it costs us losing Valverde too because of it (and let's be honest, EV himself is not exactly vital, infact he is pretty expendable too, even if we do win the treble under him this year). Cause he won't be here after the new Board comes in 2021 anyway, so we really shouldn't read too much into which players he wants not sold, especially when that player himself is a 30+ year old, who is by far our most expendable midfielder right now, when you look at his age and what he brings to this team, and who will be gone in 2021 at the latest anyway, along with Valverde, who is his biggest advocate for keeping him beyond this summer.
Both Rakitic and Valverde are expendable. In any case, we need to break this pair asap, if we want all of our midfielders being treated somehow fairly and equally regarding their minutes, starting next season. Obviously selling Rakitic and Valverde being so pissed that he would go himself too is the dream, but i'm content with us just selling Rakitic at this point, and Valverde staying until his contract is up and with it this Board too anyway.
