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Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic has revealed he could have joined Chelsea as a teenager.

The midfielder had the option to move to Stamford Bridge as a 16-year-old, but opted to stay in Switzerland with FC Basel.

Moves to Schalke and Sevilla followed after he had established himself, before he got his big switch to the Nou Camp in the summer of 2014.

Now 27, Rakitic has gone on to prove a huge part of the Catalans' seemingly inevitable march to trophy after trophy, including a stellar display in June's Champions League final triumph over Juventus.

His career could have followed an all so different path, however, with Juve joining Chelsea in expressing interest in him as a youngster.

Rakitic told The Telegraph: “It was important for me to do it step by step. First of all to arrive in the first-team in Switzerland because I had, at 16 years of age, a big offer to go to Chelsea. And another offer from Juventus.

“At that time, when I was 15, 16, I decided it was important to have my family. It might not have been the best decision for everyone but it was the right one for me.

“It was important for me to say ‘the money is there but the money will come with time, also’. There was another player like me and he went and today he is playing in the fourth division in Switzerland.”

The Croatian international will be in action for Barcelona as they travel to the Bernabeu to take on fierce rivals Real Madrid in the season's first El Clasico of the season on Saturday evening.