Croatian star set to snub Man United and Chelsea?

Sevilla are plotting imminent talks with the agent of Manchester United and Chelsea target Ivan Rakitic and are confident the Croatia international will commit his long-term future to the club.

The 25-year-old, who has already found the back of the net eight times in La Liga this term, is inside the final 18 months of his contract at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and is attracting admiring glances from the Premier League and across Europe.

He has already expressed his happiness with life at Sevilla and the club's sporting director Monchi is confident the midfielder will prolong his stay in Spain.

Monchi told Spanish newspaper Estadio Deportivo: "Next week we are going to have a meeting with his brother [and agent] Dejan, and the club wants Ivan to stay, not only for a year and a half, but for longer.

"We will make every effort within our parameters. The player wants to stay, which has been transmitted in the media, and hopefully that will also assist us. That will help with a push to renew it.

"Still he has a year and a half so it is not a thing that is so urgent that the world will fall, but we know that his will is to stay."