Barcelona are looking for an agreed exit and Sevilla, that the Croatian tightens the rope

Ivan Rakitic's departure from Barcelona, ​​with probable destination to Seville (with other suitors prepared to bid, such as Atlético ), will be one of the soap operas this summer. The Catalan club, badly in need of liquidity and sales to balance accounts that the coronavirus has left seriously damaged, does not contemplate any other scenario than the departure of the Croatian. The problem? Rakitic has one year left and Sevilla is not willing to invest a significant sum for a 32-year-old footballer .

That is why, according to the Sport newspaper , that the Barca dome has decided to lower the midfielder's starting price , adapting it to market conditions since he only has one more year left with a current contract. At first, when the player was already talking openly (following a well thought-out strategy) about his desire to return to Sevilla , Barcelona would go off the hook asking for 20 million . Seeing Rakitic's stance, he knows that he can only get the player to close in that way .

Because at Sánchez-Pizjuán they know that it is Rakitic who has the frying pan for the handle . They would not mind paying a minimum transfer, similar to what the player would request in a year of signing bonus when arriving free. And with that the Croatian will play. If he stays, Barça will have to pay him the 7.8 million euros he receives per season , an amount that will weigh down the salary cut necessary to balance accounts.

And above there would be no transfer. Rakitic will continue to tighten the rope , speaking publicly that there is nothing other than to follow. The push and pull has begun. Sevilla wait . This summer or the following, at the express wish of the parties, the paths of the Spanish club and the Balkan footballer, who raised the third Europa League for Seville as captain and is an idol in Nervión, will cross again. Barcelona must move tab and decide. Or you keep it and pay your contract; or let it out for a minimal amount. The margin is narrow .

Villarreal - Barcelona: LaLiga in the air

The club can not fail over if you want to maintain minimum options rival Real Madrid for the league title. The Whites, who play at 2:00 p.m. in Bilbao , are four points away, and another stumbling block would imply a definitive step back in the fight for the championship. To maintain their aspirations, those of Setién - the coach is questioned - are obliged to improve their pyrrhic results at home against an intractable Villarreal who aspires to Champions League positions .

The Barcelona visits the stadium Ceramics in the midst of a serious crisis with various affectations: game results, coaching staff, clothing ... the atmosphere in the team and the club are not best suited to straighten the course lost in Laliga after the resumption after the stop due to the coronavirus.

Messi's uncertainty about his renewal, Griezmann's discomfort for his unexpected substitutions, bad game, irregular results at home, doubts about Setien's continuity ... are marking the present of a team that tries, despite everything , do not drop your arms in the fight for the League title .

Eleven and scheme

When he jumps to La Cerámica tonight , the Catalan team will already know what Real Madrid has done in Bilbao , which is now four points away. In any case, whatever happens in San Mamés , Barça has been left with no margin for error. He is bound to win at Villarreal , where he has not fallen since the 07-08 season. Anything other than adding the three points can greatly complicate his situation, since of the last 12 points at stake he has only added half. His balance of these four games is one win at home and three draws. Especially limping has been shown on the go.

One of the big doubts of the eleven of this night of Quique Setién , who claims not to be worried about his continuity, is whether he will finally bet on Griezmann at the start, whom he has left on the bench in three of the last four games, with the consequent dislike of the French international. The other unknown lies in the system, since against Atlético de Madrid , last Tuesday at the Camp Nou , he parked the usual 4-3-3 and relied on a 4-4-2, with Riqui Puig behind Messi and Luis Suarez .

Villarreal, to his

Unaware of the fight for the League , Villarreal follows his own, which is no small feat. The Castellón team has earned the right to dream of the Champions League thanks to the extraordinary streak of results that it has signed since the return of the confinement: five wins in six games, results only surpassed by Real Madrid in the last month of competition that make you hope to achieve the milestone.

But the yellows want more. With a victory against the Barcelona team, the locals would sleep in Champions League positions and, at the expense of the Sevilla game, they would start with force a final stretch of maximum demand: Barcelona, ​​Getafe, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and Eibar make up the particular Tourmalet with which put the clasp on the season.

The last victory dating from the Submarine against Barça dates back to 2007 (3-1). Only Leo Messi and Santi Cazorla remain from that match , who, 13 years later, are still the best in their respective teams.

With the memory of the tie last season, when the Blaugrana came back with two goals in added time, Villarreal coach Javi Calleja will bet on his gala eleven with the return of Iborra, Cazorla, Chukwueze and Alcácer regarding the last league game.