Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic will not leave the Camp Nou this summer despite rumoured interest from Chelsea, according to the player's agent.
The 30-year-old has been in an integral part of the Catalan giants's squad since his arrival from Sevilla in 2014 and he has played in all but one of Barcelona's league games this season.
However, with Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong joining from Ajax for £65 million in the summer, his starting spot could soon be under threat.
Chelsea have been linked with a big-money move for the Croatian after letting Cesc Fabregas join Monaco, but his agent has dismissed speculation suggesting he could leave.
“Ivan wants to leave Spain in the summer? That’s impossible,” his representative Arturo Canales told Sport in light of reports Inter Milan are interested in him.
Rakitic still has two-and-a-half years to run on his current deal which expires in the summer of 2021, with a reported release clause of €125 million (£110m).
According to the Catalan newspaper, the playmaker is waiting for the club to open negotiations over a new and improved contract.
This was based on a promise from the president, Josep María Bartomeu, after Rakitic rejected a summer move to Paris Saint-Germain but there has been no movement from the club.
Rakitic, who played for FC Basel, Schalke and Sevilla before joining the La Liga champions, has won 12 trophies in his four years at the club.
