Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta calls Ivan Rakitic to convince him to join Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has called Ivan Rakitic in an attempt to convince the Barcelona midfielder to join Arsenal, according to French outlet Le10 Sport (via Daily Mail).

The 32-year-old is out of contract in 2021 and the Catalans are said to be ready to sanction his exit from the club this summer.

The Gunners' boss is personally interested in bringing the Croat to North London so he decided to outline his plans to the player.

Rakitic, in turn, prefers a stay in the La Liga or a move to the Serie A to a Premier League switch.

Ivan has been linked with the likes of Inter Milan and Juventus over the past 12 months but his former club Sevilla appear to be leading the race for the 32-year-old.