Luis Enrique insists his omission of Ivan Rakitic from the Barcelona squad for Sunday's LaLiga draw with Villarreal had nothing to do with speculation over his future.
A 90th-minute Lionel Messi free-kick snatched a point for Barca in a 1-1 draw at the renamed Estadio de la Ceramica.
Rakitic was left out against the backdrop of reports in Croatia linking him with a move to Manchester City to join up with former Barca head coach Pep Guardiola.
"Rakitic's absence has no relation with that story," he told a news conference.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter if the media is English, Croatian... you can't trust the media."
"We are negotiating Rakitic's renewal," he told Movistar+.
"We love him not only as a player but also as a person. He has a contract and we want him to stay."
Rakitic's existing contract expires in 2019.
