Ivan Rakitic continues to ignore the transfer talk which surrounds him at Barcelona, with it his intention to remain at Camp Nou for the foreseeable future.
Speculation regarding a move elsewhere is nothing new for the Croatia international.
He has been linked with leading sides across Europe for some time now, with the likes of Manchester United and Inter having been credited with interest in the past.
Rakitic has always turned a deaf ear to the rumours, with the 31-year-old midfielder fully committed to a contract at Camp Nou.
He is not about to alter that stance, despite seeing more gossip sparked during the current window.
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Quizzed on the latest reports, Rakitic told reporters while on pre-season duty: “My idea is very clear, I want to stay at Barca.
“[Transfer talk] is a situation I'm used to. It happened to me last year.
“I've spoken with the club and the coach and we have the same idea, for me to stay at Barca.
“We're open to everything, as always, but my intention is to stay. I have two more years on my contract and I want to keep enjoying myself at Barca.”
With Rakitic experienced now to ignore any potentially distracting stories about his future, he claims that speculation is no longer a source of frustration for him.
He added: “It doesn't annoy me.
“I know that football works like this and it makes me proud because if other teams want me it's because I'm doing things very well. I'm calm.”
Rakitic is currently tied to a deal with Barca until the summer of 2021.
It has been reported that he is eager to thrash out fresh terms, allowing everybody to bring the unwelcome exit talk to a close.
He is, however, no closer to putting pen to paper, with no discussions having been held as yet.
“I spoke with the president on various topics and now the club has other things to do before thinking about [my new contract],” added Rakitic.
“The president wants to create a good squad so that the fans can enjoy Barca.”
Josep Maria Bartomeu is currently in the process of bringing fresh faces into Camp Nou, with Antoine Griezmann the marquee addition of the summer as speculation continues to suggest that Neymar could be brought back to Catalunya from Paris Saint-Germain.
