FC Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic reportedly snubbed offers from Manchester United, Chelsea, and Juventus during this summer transfer window's deadline day as he also pledged long-term allegiance to the Catalan club.
Daily Mail Online reported that the 28-year-old Croatia international had recently "rejected interest from Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea" as he was also "understood to have been wanted by Juventus" late in the summer's window.
The article then continued that all three clubs had submitted offers for Rakitic before the window closed on Wednesday, but the 6-foot-1 Swiss-born Croatian "decided to stay at the Nou Camp".
With his show of loyalty and strong start to the new La Liga season, Barça is said to be preparing a new and improved deal for Rakitic. He is currently under contract with the Blaugrana until the end of the 2017-2018 season.
His contract extension is going to be given simultaneously with two other main men in the Barcelona lineup: Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, according to the report.
Rakitic scored the lone goal in Barça's 1-0 nipping of Athletic Bilbao at the San Mamés Stadium last Sunday, which was the perfect ending for the club before the international break.
"We will speak to Messi just as we will talk to Suárez and Rakitic," team president Josep Maria Bartomeu said. "We will do so in the next few months because we want them to renew their contracts."
Meanwhile, ESPN indicated that United head coach Jose Mourinho is still "keen on the Croatia international" even after successfully signing Paul Pogba in a world-record £89.3 million transfer deal last month while Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants Rakitic to "line up alongside N'Golo Kanté in a new-look Chelsea midfield" this season.
The coaches will get another opportunity at snagging the Croatian in January when the winter transfer window opens and a new round of proposals will be submitted by interested teams.
Rumors were out that Rakitic could be considering a move out of the Camp Nou after getting limited minutes from manager Luis Enrique last season, with team captain Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and Javier Mascherano getting most of the starting XI chances in the Spaniard's 4-3-3.
With the recent acquisitions of youngsters Andre Gomes and Denis Suárez further crowding Barça's midfield, interested clubs are hoping that Rakitic would desire to leave Catalonia soon.