The midfielder’s current deal expires in the summer of 2024 (Picture: Getty)
Manchester City have held talks with Mateo Kovacic’s camp regarding a summer switch to the Etihad with Chelsea willing to cash in on the contract rebel, according to reports.
The Croatia international has been an excellent player for the Blues since joining from Real Madrid – initially on loan – in the summer of 2018.
Various injuries hampered his performances in the latest campaign, however, with knee and calf issues restricting him to just 17 starts in the Premier League.
He is out of contract in the summer of 2024 and talks over a new deal hit an impasse some time ago, with the west London club expected to cash in now rather than risk losing him for nothing in a year’s time.
Now transfer expert Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Premier League champions City have begun concrete talks with the player’s entourage regarding a summer switch.
Pep Guardiola is known to be in the market for a new central midfielder, with Kalvin Phillips struggling to make an impression and John Stones used in midfield instead.
City are also dealing with a contractual conundrum of their own in the form of Ilkay Gundogan, who can leave on a free transfer this coming summer.
Kovacic’s season was blighted by a number of injuries (Picture: Getty)
The German has enjoyed another excellent campaign and was particularly influential in the run-in, but he has offers from both Barcelona and Arsenal.
City are believed to only be offering Gundogan, who turns 33 in October, a one-year extension, but both Barca and Arsenal could trump that proposal by offering a multi-year deal.
That all means City are likely to need at least one new midfielder this summer, and they appear to have set their sights on Kovacic.
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Talks will continue in the coming days but new boss Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to offload the Croatian, with the Argentine set to oversee a midfield revolution this summer.
Fellow contract rebel Mason Mount is also expected to leave Stamford Bridge while N’Golo Kante is yet to pen fresh terms, with his deal expiring at the end of next month.
That leaves Enzo Fernandez as the only senior, established midfielder that Pochettino can put his trust in and the Blues have been linked with moves for both Sporting’s holding midfielder Manuel Ugarte and Brighton star Moises Caicedo.
City, meanwhile, will not have a free run at Kovacic with Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel keen to reunite with the 29-year-old in Bavaria.
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The midfielder’s current deal expires in the summer of 2024.
