Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic has revealed fellow Croat Luka Modric tried to convince him to join Real Madrid before his Camp Nou move.
The 29-year-old joined the Catalans from Sevilla in the summer of 2014 but he has stated how his close friend previously had attempted to lure him to the Bernabeu.
Rakitic told Cadena Ser, when questioned if Luka Modric had tried to persuade him to join Real Madrid: "Before, when I was with Sevilla, he did. It would be more difficult now!
“He's a person I respect a lot. Of course he's capable of playing for Barca, because for me he is one of the top three players in the world in his position.
"I enjoy playing with him a lot and, with complete respect to everyone else, we see a different Madrid when he's there and when he's not.
"Iniesta? It's difficult to imagine Barca without him, it's like Barca without Xavi. It's really difficult, almost impossible.
"As for Messi, what he has here at Barcelona is something which money can't buy. I'm sure that he's really keen to stay."
