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MADRID, March 9 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona had another piece of good news on Thursday to add to their historic qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night when the club confirmed that Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic has extended his contract until the end of June 2021.
The Croatian arrived at Barca from Sevilla in the summer of 2014 aged 26 and had been a key part of the side in the past three years.
He has played 145 first team games, scoring 23 goals in the process and despite a drop in form earlier this season and rumors of interest from both Manchester City and Manchester United, he will now continue at the Camp Nou for the next four seasons.
The new deal, which he will sign on Friday in the offices of the Camp Nou Stadium raises Rakitic's buyout clause to 125 million Euros (approximately 137 million US dollars) making it very unlikely that anyone will attempt to buy him in the near future.
