Liverpool are ready to strengthen their Premier League title aspirations by making a bid for Seville midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers sent scouts to watch the Croatia international in the 2-1 victory over Villarreal at the weekend.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham have also been linked with the 25-year-old playmaker but the Premier League leaders aim to nip in before their rivals.

Rakitic has scored seven times in 20 appearances this term and Seville may be forced to sell, despite allowing Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo to join Manchester City in the summer before cashing in on Guy Medel's move to Swansea.

There is a £33million release clause in Rakitic's contract but Seville are reported by the Daily Mail to be willing to allow him to leave for as little as £7million.

"A football player can never say with certainty that he will remain in his club," Rakitic recently told Spanish reporters.

"Such is the nature of our business. I'm in Seville for three years now and in this time many things have changed.

"It is clear that in such a big club people can not be satisfied with average results. If there is no success, if there are no trophies, frustration grows. Everything has changed.

"Before the start of the season we got 13 or 14 new players, so everything has just began to operate. Now we have a good series of results and we are all optimistic."

Rakitic would not speculate about a possible transfer and added: "I can assure you that I'm one hundred percent focused on Sevilla and I only think about our next match."

Source: Metro