Report: Manchester United, Chelsea 'On Alert' After Ivan Rakitic Contract Delay

Barcelona have delayed offering Ivan Rakitic a new contract until next season, which has reportedly piqued the interest of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea as a result. 

Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Onda Cero (h/t TalkSport) that, despite the Croatian asking for a new deal, Barca do not currently have the finances to meet his demands: "For this campaign, we will not be able to go through with the gesture that Rakitic is asking of us. Next season we can look at it in relation to our new revenue."

Per TalkSport, United, City and Chelsea are all now "on alert" as their chances of signing Rakitic have improved. 

Rakitic's current deal runs to 2021, so Barcelona will likely be confident of keeping hold of the midfielder until they can tie him to new terms next summer.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

However, City, United and Chelsea are all clubs that boast the finances to offer Rakitic an attractive deal that he may not be getting at the Camp Nou.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's Sky Blues could arguably offer Rakitic a better chance of success in the UEFA Champions League.

Rakitic, 30, joined Barca from Sevilla in 2014, initially penning a five-year contract.

He then extended to 2021 in March 2017 in a deal that included a release clause of €125 million (£111 million), per ESPN FC.

That fee could prove prohibitive even for the likes of City, United and Chelsea, especially as Rakitic is now in his thirties.