Rakitic wants new Barcelona deal despite Chelsea rumours

Ivan Rakitic insists he wants to stay at Barcelona and potentially extend his contract, despite reports linking him with Chelsea.

The 30-year-old has been a huge success since joining from Sevilla in 2014, winning 12 major trophies, including the treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Champions League in 2014-15.

However, with Frenkie de Jong set to arrive from Ajax in July in an €86million deal, Rakitic has been tipped for a possible move to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Barca are thought to be eager to reduce their wage bill, as well as recoup some funds from transfers, and Rakitic, along with Philippe Coutinho and Malcom, is one of the players said to be facing a fight for his future.

But the Croatia star has no intention of leaving Barca, telling Mundo Deportivo: "It's a good question for the boss or the president. The people who know me know that I'm only here to play. I face it calmly, with a lot of excitement.

"I'm 30 and I'm in the best moment of my career. I want to enjoy football and Barca.

"I want to be here and, if I can, to renew and be here for many more years. And, before anything else, to have a great season and win a lot of trophies."



 #ForçaBarça  pic.twitter.com/SwG8TWhJoO
— Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic) January 26, 2019