Rakitic was bound for a prominent move far from Sevilla in the late spring in the wake of awing in the club’s Europa League winning fight.
However, Liverpool and Manchester United were among the top picks to sign the 26-year-old, yet fizzled in their offer.
Rakitic rather settled on a move to La Liga rivals Barca, costing in overabundance of £15m.
What’s more the previous Basel and Schalke man demands he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to play with any semblance of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi
“Wearing this shirt is fulfilling a dream and it is a wonderful feeling. All children dream of coming here,” he said.
“When I signed for Barca my only thought was sharing a dressing room with players such as these. I wanted to learn from them as players and as people.
“They are footballers who have won everything and I know I have to learn and try to take a step forward.
“You can realise your full potential if you feel happy and integrated, and I’ve felt like that since my first day at Barcelona.”
Written by Steve Milne @SteveMilneNews
