The agent of Liverpool target Ivan Rakitic admits it is an "honour" for his client to be linked with Lazio but insists it is still "too premature" to talk about a move away from Sevilla.

Rakitic has arguably been the most impressive midfielder in La Liga this season, scoring 12 times and setting up 10 goals in the Spanish top-flight.

The Croatia international will enter the final year of his contract this summer and talks over a new deal at Sevilla appear to have stalled in recent weeks.

Spain's leading three clubs, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are all interested in the 26-year-old, while Liverpool head the list of Premier League clubs that are trailing him.

Lazio, who lost prolific midfielder Hernanes to Inter Milan in January, are also in the hunt for Rakitic and reports in Italy claim their sporting director Igli Tare recently jetted out to Spain to sound his camp out over a summer switch.

But the player's brother and agent Dejan has played down such talk, although he hinted he would be open to a move to Italy.

He told Il Messaggero: "It is an honour that big teams such as Lazio are thinking about my brother. [But] now it is still premature to talk about these things."

Source: talkSPORT