Man City are reportedly set to sign Mateo Kovacic this summer from Chelsea.
Last night, reports emerged that positive talks were held regarding a move to the Etihad for the Croatia international.
It seems to be the first concrete transfer link of the summer for City.
Apparently, Kovacic is really close to agreeing personal terms with the club. And then, a transfer fee will need to be agreed on.
It has been claimed it could take a bid of somewhere between £30 million and £40 million to bring the proposed move to fruition.
Kovacic to City would be a very interesting move.
He’s obviously a proven Premier League player, having signed for Chelsea back in 2018, initially on loan.
He has really stood out for the Blues in midfield, and seemingly he has made a big impression on Pep Guardiola.
Not everyone is on board with this potential signing. Some fans have pointed to the player’s age and injury record as reasons he might not be great business.
But 29 is by no means ‘old’, and Kovacic has made 221 appearances for Chelsea in total so far. That averages out to 44 games a season which is excellent.
Some have been wondering why Guardiola would want a player like Kovacic.
Well, some previous comments from Kai Havertz may explain the interest.
The German is a teammate of Kovacic at Stamford Bridge and sees his quality in training every day. He said of him earlier this month: (quoted by The Chelsea Chronicle) “The best technically Mateo Kovacic, but I suppose he doesn’t use many skills in-game. That is Joao Felix, I’d say. Hakim Ziyech is the one who always tries to nutmeg.”
Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic is the technical type of player Man City boss Pep Guardiola adores
So Havertz reckons Kovacic is actually the most technical player at Chelsea.
It has been clear since Pep came to City that he loves a technician. The man has flooded his team with them since he stepped through the door.
He’s brought many players that are simply world-class on the ball to the club, such as Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish.
Kovacic has regularly shown that he is a top technician.
He isn’t someone who produces flashy skills.
But he is extremely effective at progressing the ball from deep areas of midfield. He breaks the lines superbly, and is impressively press-resistant, which is a trait Guardiola values extremely highly.
Hopefully City can get this one over the line. He’s been a great player for Chelsea, but he could be phenomenal at City under Pep.
