According to a recent report from N1, Manchester City has begun negotiations with Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic concerning a possible move to the Etihad Stadium during the summer transfer window.
The Citizens have already started scoping out numerous targets for the summer transfer window, allegedly including Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, who could cost over £100m.
As Ilkay Gundogan is expected to become a free agent at the end of the season and is suspected to move to Barcelona, it’s evident that Pep Guardiola will need to sign a new center midfielder, and Kovacic appears to be the central midfielder that he’s keen on, as reported by the media.
Manchester City has previously expressed an interest in Kovacic and have sensed an opportunity to lure him away from Chelsea, with the Croatian’s contract with the Blues expiring at the end of next season.
N1 reports that City has taken the initiative by sending the player’s representatives to London to initiate the first round of talks with the club regarding a prospective summer transfer.
However, recently, there have been rumors that Aston Villa’s Kalvin Phillips is close to signing for the club, and Kovacic could be a potential replacement for him.
The midfielder’s form has declined somewhat this season, averaging a match rating of 6.77 according to Sofascore, a substantial drop from 7.20 in the previous season. Despite this, he has been quite impressive for Croatia, ranked as their best-performing player in the recent Euro 2024 qualifiers, and he also played in every game on their journey to finish in third place at the World Cup.
The Austria-born midfielder is known as “unbelievable” and “smooth under pressure,” making him a good fit in Guardiola’s system, as he has been in the 93rd percentile for passes attempted per 90 over the past year.
At £30m, Kovacic would be a fantastic purchase for Manchester City, considering his proven experience in the Premier League, having made 138 appearances in the top flight with Chelsea.
