My intention is not to attack BBZ or Rakitic. But I want to say that stats could be misleading and that context is important.
For example, 2 of Rakitic's assists last season is more due to Messi's brilliance rather than Rakitic being creative.
[youtube]WJmkq9f8hd0[/youtube]
[youtube]0DpYpjKDRBg[/youtube]
Or even crediting Busi for the assist for this
[youtube]UscczWoT7yY[/youtube]
Dani Alves's 'assist'
[youtube]YBaXSEkzAEE[/youtube]
Probably 50% of assists in our team are: pass the ball to Messi and he will create magic.
While the assistant hasn't done absolutely nothing spectacular except playing a simple pass or even a backpass.
When you dig deeper, you will see that the same happens with all of our players.
For example, Arthur was hailed as a creative and an attacking beast this season and how he has improved a lot, yet out of his 4 assists this season, 2 of them have absolutely nothing with assisting.
Look at this:
Assist for Luis Suarez vs Valencia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnKYlolrlAM
And an intercepted pass which luckily ended on Dembele's feet who made a fantastic solo action after that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNbHOPmApE
But further, what I have been talking for a long time: each player has his unique set of natural skills.
Each player can improve in all skills.
But if you are born with attacking skills 90 and defensive skills 10, you will never be a good defender.
The same, if you are born with defensive skills 90 and attacking talent 10, you will never be a creative midfielder.
And now, (imo) this is not just my bias, but in terms of attacking, I have never seen a Barca's midfielder as sterile in that apartment as Arthur is.
A guy is born with possession skills (keeping a ball and press resistance) 99%, while his natural creative game is like 20% and defending is at 50%-ish.
On the other hand, Rakitic's is more like an allrounder.
Not spectacular in technique and possession, but very good.
In attack, he started career at Basel and Schalke as a FC and CAM. So, he played for years on attacking and creative positions and he has nice skills in that area.
About defending, even as a CAM, he was always a workhorse CAM who even on attacking positions had very good defensive numbers.
For example:
When Rakitic was of Arthur's current age, he had at Schalke in Bundesliga:
2,3 tackles per match+1,4 interceptions+0,6 clearances+0,1 blocks=4,4 defensive contributions per match aged 23
Last season at Barca, Rakitic had similar numbers:
0,9 tackles+1,5 interceptions+0,8 clearances+0,2 blocks=3,4 defensive contributions.
For a comparison, Arthur in his first season at Barca:
1,2 defensive contributions per match.
This season 2019/2020: 1,5 defensive contributions per match
So, if you want to check on this case:
Rakitic had NATURAL skills in defending, tackling, positioning, intercepting, heading even in early age.
So, it is not as if he came from 1,0 defensive contributions per match to 3,5 out of nowhere.
He was always at the same level.
Arthur, on the other hand has 1,5 contributions per match.
If you want him to reach Rakitic's level of positioning and defending, he will need to more than double his current defensive numbers.
Let's move to the other area of field: attacking.
As said above, Rakitic played as a CAM-FC, so he also possesses attacking skills and knowledge.
Of course, he is not a new Iniesta or Zidane, but he has a decent attacking and playmaking skills.
For example, at Sevilla, he had 2,9 key passes per match in La Liga in 2012/13 and 2,3 key passes pr match in 2013/14.
At Euro 2016, Rakitic had 3,3 key passes per match.
At World Cup 2018, he had 1,4 key passes per match.
World cup 2014: 1,3 key passes per match.
So, at Sevilla, he had 2,3 or 2,9 key passes per match, and on NT World cups and Euros, he also had nice numbers with around 1,3-1,5 key passes per match.
Now, check at Arthur:
Barca 2018/19: 0,5 key passes per match
This season: 1,0 key pass per match.
NT Copa America: 0,8 key passes per match
Now, if you check Rakitic's and Arthur's natural skills BEFORE Barca:
Rakitic roughly had a double amount of defensive contributions and almost a double amount of key passes, goals and assists.
And now, even though every player can improve at his own pace in a lot of areas, but the thing is: Rakitic's starting skills in attack and defense were way better than Arthur's.
On the other hand, Arthur's possession skills and press resistance were also miles better from the start.
And that is exactly what I am talking about:
Arthur is a better player for recycling possession and press resistance.
Rakitic is better at defending and in the attacking area.
But then, against La Liga teams, where we have possession either way, Raki's skills can help more than Arthur's.
Especially defensive skills, since someone needs to cover for Messi, Suarez and Roberto on the right side, and as seen above, Raki has been way better defender since his Basel, Schalke or Sevilla days.
So, when you guys say: Arthur is young, he can improve, you are risking a lot.
Maybe he will, but the most likely: it is what it is. He will improve slightly in majority of areas.
Further, I don't know how much you guys have followed Rakitic at Sevilla and in NT team, but he was quite a nice CAM in the past who had some talent for dribbling, through balls, runs into a box and goals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAEPbyQaMxQ