Premier League champions Manchester City have bolstered their midfield by agreeing to a £30 million deal with Chelsea to sign midfielder Mateo Kovacic. As per the deal, Manchester City will pay an initial £25 million for the 29-year-old Croatia international, with a further £5 million to follow in potential add-ons.
Kovacic, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge. Manchester City will now look to complete the formalities of a move with the player. If everything goes as per plan, Kovacic will become City’s first signing of the summer and give manager Pep Guardiola more midfield options at a time when captain Ilkay Gundogan’s future is uncertain.
Football & Studs
Kovacic has won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid and once with Chelsea, could be one of several summer departures from the London club as new manager Mauricio Pochettino trims his squad.
Besides Kovacic, there are also talks about Manchester City looking to propose a swap deal for Declan Rice involving a winger in exchange for the Three Lions’ starlet. The Pep Guardiola-led side is looking to strengthen their defence by bringing in RB Leipzig player Josko Gvardiol.
Manchester City will be seeing a lot of players make their way out of the club this season. The biggest of them all will be Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva. While it is not certain where Gundogan will go, Bernardo Silva will be plying his trade for Barcelona or Paris St. Germain. Man City are also looking to sell Riyad Mahrez this summer. Mahrez is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian clubs. His contract expires in 2024.
