Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has revealed he rejected the chance to join Chelsea earlier in his playing career.

Speaking with the Daily Telegraph (h/t James Whaling of the Daily Mirror) the Croatia international claimed the Blues made an offer for him when he was just a 16-year-old. Now 27 and playing a vital role at the heart of a brilliant Blaugrana side, the former Sevilla man insisted he was happy with the decision he made:

It was important for me to do it step by step. 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. 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 the right one for me.

It was important for me to say ‘the money is there but the money will come with time, also.’ There was another player like me and he went and today he is playing in the fourth division in Switzerland.

For Rakitic, it would have been an enormous step. Born in Switzerland, he spent the majority of his youth career with FC Basel before eventually breaking into the first-team and signing for Schalke 04 in 2007. From there he went to Sevilla, where some tremendous performances caught Barcelona’s eye. In his first season with Barcelona, Rakitic helped the Catalan giants to the treble.

As noted here by Squawka Football, the 27-year-old is beginning to get a little more confidence in front of goal for the Blaugrana too:

Chelsea would certainly love to have him in the squad now. Midfielders Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas have really struggled to make an impact this term, while someone with Rakitic’s dynamism, intelligence and ability on the ball would certainly aid the Blues.

Nevertheless, given Chelsea’s poor record when it comes to developing young players, it’s certainly up for debate as to whether the Barcelona man would have eventually scaled similar heights. His career path, although not initially spectacular, sets a fine example for those youngsters who chase too much too early and get swallowed up at an elite club.

 

Blues Leading Jonathan Calleri Race

A young player who may have to make a similar kind of decision is Boca Juniors’ Jonathan Calleri, with Sky Italia (h/t talkSPORT) suggesting Chelsea are favourites to sign the impressive forward.

Inter Milan and Stoke City are also noted as interested parties, but it’s suggested the Blues are the most likely side to sign him, with manager Jose Mourinho said to be keen on adding to his options at the point of the attack in January. Here’s a look at what Calleri is capable of:

Some attacking impetus would certainly aid the Blues’ cause for the second half of the season. So far, Diego Costa has failed to replicate his goalscoring feats from the previous campaign, Loic Remy hasn’t had much of a sniff and Radamel Falcao continues to look nothing like his former self. As we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ, goalscoring has been a big problem:

Calleri certainly has the capabilities to aid in that sense, having netted 21 goals for Boca last season, per talkSPORT. The Premier League would be a big step up, but the 22-year-old seems to have the hunger and the talent to make himself a hit in English football, should a transfer materialise.

Still, it’d be a big risk making the move to Chelsea. Should Costa regain form, it’s tough to see Calleri getting many minutes in the first-team. Making a jaunt to Europe is a major commitment for South American players, and the last thing the Boca man needs during what would be a testing period is to be sat on the substitutes bench.

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