Barcelona Transfer News: Ivan Rakitic Addresses Contract Rumours

Ivan Rakitic has confirmed Barcelona are preparing a new contract for him and has dismissed rumours he could be on his way to Manchester City or Juventus.

Speaking to Novi List (h/t Calciomercato.com), the Croat said his future lies in Catalonia, although he also admitted a lack of playing time would weigh heavily on any player.

"My future is here [at Barcelona]. I want to stay at Barcelona and the club is preparing a new contract for me. I want to win more trophies with this club. I'm feeling happy here because I know I won’t be leaving. Nobody, however, is happy with lack of game time."

Per the report, both Juventus and City are still keeping an eye on the former Sevilla man, who was linked with both clubs throughout the January transfer window.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Rakitic spoke to the press seemingly every week and kept pledging his allegiance to the Catalans, but a lack of a clearly defined role in the squad led to plenty of speculation. There were also reports Rakitic didn't get along with manager Luis Enrique, per Calciomercato.com.

The 28-year-old is one of Barcelona's under-the-radar contributors, as his play in midfield doesn't lead to a lot of goals or statistical output. He's a good tackler and distributor who brings some much-needed steel to the Catalans, but unlike Andres Iniesta or some of his other team-mates, he rarely steals the show.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

As shared by Squawka News, Rakitic believes he has his value:

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Ivan Rakitic: "I don't dribble like Leo, score like Luis, give passes like Andres but I think I add my qualities." pic.twitter.com/uVATv4JMoI

— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) January 27, 2017"

Luis Enrique has a number of star midfielders to choose from to play alongside a fit Iniesta, with Rafinha, Arda Turan and Andre Gomes impressing at times during the 2016-17 season. The resurgence of Aleix Vidal means Sergi Roberto could also see more minutes in midfield, the position he played the most in the past.

Rakitic remains the favourite of that group to start next to Iniesta, but he also holds the most value on the transfer market―if rumours he and Luis Enrique didn't get along were true, it would make sense to cash in at this point.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

There were also suggestions Barcelona could sell the Croatia international to raise funds for Lionel Messi's new contract, per El Confidencial (h/t The Sun's Sam Street).

But the new contract offer seems to rule out a move, and if Rakitic puts pen to paper, City and Juventus will have to look elsewhere during the summer.