Barcelona Nears First Departure Under Koeman Amid Lionel Messi Exit Saga

As Lionel Messi’s exit looms, Barcelona has taken a step closer to creating newly appointed coach Ronald Koeman's ideal squad as it makes progress in the imminent transfer of Ivan Rakitic to Sevilla.

Barcelona immediately started its summer rebuilding upon the arrival of Koeman. And among the players he wants out of Barca immediately is veteran midfielder Rakitic.

Negotiations between Sevilla and Barcelona regarding Rakitic’s transfer accelerated on Monday, Aug. 31, Spanish outlet Marca reported.

Insiders told ESPN that Rakitic's agents have now agreed the terms of his Barcelona exit. He is set to join Sevilla for a nominal fee and will sign a two-year contract at his former club, with the option of a third, sources said.

The 32-year-old underwent a medical in Barcelona on Monday and was not expected to join Koeman's first training session later in the day.

The Croatia international has always been a subject of transfer talks due to his desire to return to Seville and to play for Sevilla once again. It was at the Andalusian club where Rakitic had the best years of his professional career, spending three seasons with the club from 2011 to 2014.

Rakitic had previously insisted that he wants to stay at Camp Nou. He is still tied with Barcelona until 2021, but the Croat has chosen to leave the club after being “discarded” by its new manager.

If Sevilla and Barcelona secure the deal for Rakitic’s transfer, he will be the club’s first departure of the summer.

Rakitic would take over from Ever Banega at Sevilla and would be the club's third signing of the window after Jesus Suso and Oscar Rodriguez both arrived on permanent deals.

Prior to advancements of his move to Sevilla, Rakitic was previously linked to a move to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. In fact, if the transfer to Sevilla had not been feasible, Rakitic would not have minded joining Jose Mourinho’s side, Mundo Deportivo reported.

Mourinho considered a shock move for Rakitic this summer to fill the vacancy left by his star midfielder, Christian Eriksen. The Danish attacking midfielder left the Spurs for Serie A giant Inter Milan in January. The renowned manager was optimistic about Rakitic playing Eriksen’s key role in the center of the field.