Midfielder Ivan Rakitic has claimed Barcelona are the ‘perfect’ club for him amid reports linking him with a move away from the Camp Nou.
The Croatian international’s current deal at the Camp Nou runs through until the summer of 2021 although Barca signed midfielders Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo last summer and have a deal to sign Frenkie De Jong from Ajax this summer.
Last week, El Mundo Deportivo cited a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport that Rakitic had agreed a deal to join Italian club Inter when the transfer window reopens.
“I like living in Spain,” Rakitic told DAZN when asked about a move to Italy.
“Unfortunately I can’t ask for another passport because I already have two, otherwise I’d also ask for a Spanish one because I’m fine here and I’m happy.
“My family are happy here too and my daughters are doing well in Barcelona because we’re close to Seville. Therefore, staying here is perfect for me.”
His agent Arturo Canales is reported to have said last week that the midfielder would not be leaving the club this summer although the Spanish media have cast doubt upon such claims.
Last month, Diario Sport suggested the central midfielder has attracted interest from a number of clubs including Chelsea and Inter.
Barca do not want to increase the player’s salary at the club despite rejecting an approach from Paris Saint-Germain this summer – with Rakitic reportedly claiming he had been promised a salary raise.
In February, at El Mundo Deportivo’s awards ceremony, Rakitic himself said: “I would like to renew and stay for many years.”
Rakitic is aiming to win his fourth league title in five years with Barca, whom he joined from Sevilla in the summer of 2014 for a reported €18m.
The Croatian has also won four Copa del Rey titles and the Champions League in that time, scoring 33 goals across 247 appearances.
