Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has revealed he rejected Chelsea and Juventus as a youngster to remain at FC Basel.
Rakitic, 27, was determined to reach the top his own way and after becoming only the second non-Spanish player to captain Sevilla – the other being Diego Maradona – he sealed his lucrative move to Barcelona in 2014.
However, the Croatia international’s career could have been very different had he been tempted by Chelsea’s ‘huge’ offer as a 16-year-old.
“It was important for me to do it step by step,” the Barcelona ace told the Daily Telegraph. “First of all to arrive in the first team in Switzerland because I had, at 16 years of age, a big offer to go to Chelsea.
“And another offer from Juventus and I decided to stay at home with my family. Then I first had to get into the Super League in Switzerland and after that the next step.
“At that time, when I was 15, 16, I decided it was important to have my family. It might not have been the best decision for everyone but it was right one for me.”
The Barcelona midfielder has saved his goals for the Champions League this season, with only Luis Suarez (3) able to better his feat of two goals in four matches for the club.
For more stats on Ivan Rakitic, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
