Blues enter race to bring Croatian to Stamford Bridge.
Check in to Cardiff City vs Chelsea
Chelsea are hoping to frustrate Liverpool in their pursuit of Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic by entering the race to sign him this summer, according to Football Direct News.
Read More Chelsea Transfer News
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has made the 25-year-old one of his top transfer targets this summer after failing to bring him on board last summer.
Rakitic’s future remains shrouded in uncertainty due to his brother and agent, Dejan Rakitic, failing to turn up to meeting’s with the player’s employers regarding a contract renewal.
Sevilla are said to have made a verbal agreement with Dejan, however, a number of clubs across Europe have declared their interest in him and talks with the Andalusian club have since cooled.
And now Chelsea are believed to be weighing up a £22m bid to land the playmaker from under the noses of their Premier League rivals.
The west London giants have already frustrated the Reds in the transfer market this season when they beat Brendan Rodgers to the signing of FC Basel winger Mohamed Salah in January.
Rakitic has been one of La Liga’s top performers this campaign having made 10 assists and scored 12 goals for Sevilla, who lie fifth in the table and have reached the Europa League final.
Check out the 10 worst Chelsea flops of the Premier League era.
See who are the top 10 best Chelsea players of all time.