Rakitic confirms he will stay at Barcelona

Ivan Rakitic has been heavily tipped to join Paris Saint-Germain, but he insists he has no reason to leave Barcelona.

Published : Aug 26, 2018 08:08 IST

Ivan Rakitic has confirmed he will be staying at Barcelona, despite being linked with a €90million move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Speculation over the Croatia star's future has dominated much of the sports media agenda in Spain in the past week, with the midfielder said to be interested in the prospect of joining the Ligue 1 champion.

However, Rakitic broke his silence following Barca's 1-0 win over Real Valladolid on Saturday, insisting he has never had any doubts over his future and sees no reason to leave Camp Nou.

"There has been a lot of talk, but it's done. I'm going to stay here, with a huge amount of excitement," he told Barca TV .

"Honestly, there is nothing better than defending this crest. I'll give my best and that's that.

"It's been a few days of pressure but I've realised that the most beautiful thing is being in Barcelona and to keep going for everything. I'm happy and proud."

The 30-year-old added to Spanish radio: "My family and I are very happy in Barcelona. I haven't had doubts about my future. The most important thing is that I want to stay.

"For me, it's a privilege to defend this crest. To be able to defend the shirt of this club is the greatest thing there is.

"No club could offer me what I have at Barcelona."

With its chances of bringing in Rakitic apparently over, PSG has reportedly turned its attention to trying to sign Tottenham star Christian Eriksen before the transfer deadline on August 31.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment