Man Utd blow as Rakitic reveals he wants to see out Barcelona contract until 2021
IVAN Rakitic has ended Manchester United’s hopes of signing him after confirming he wants to stay at Barcelona.
The Red Devils had been keen on securing the Croatian’s signature but that does not look likely given his latest message.
The midfielder played 90 minutes in his country’s World Cup final defeat to France last summer and has starred during Barcelona‘s La Liga win this season.
With Paul Pogba’s future at United unclear, Rakitic would have made an ideal replacement for the Frenchman.
But despite interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, the 31-year-old made it clear he is happy in Catalonia.
He said: “I don’t want to be anywhere else.
“I hope the club, the president, the coach and the fans see this the same way I do and I hope they tell me I’ll stay here for another three years.
“I’d like to be able to point to the three more years on my contract and to say I’ll be here three more years.
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“Anything can happen in football but I am very calm about it.”
Barca won La Liga with three games to spare, with Rakitic notching three goals and four assists from 32 league appearances.
The Croatian signed a five-year-deal deal in 2016 and it expires in the summer of 2021.