The current Premier League winners, Manchester City, have started formal negotiations to buy Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and are making substantial moves in the transfer market.
Positive conversations regarding personal terms have reportedly taken place with the midfielder’s camp, according to Fabrizio Romano via CaughtOffside, suggesting that a deal could be reached soon.
According to reports, the Blues are willing to move the Croatian as part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plan to overhaul the midfield.
The Citizens and the player’s agents have recently held fruitful conversations, and it now seems that the two parties are getting closer to reaching a personal terms deal. This indicates that the 29-year-old is open to the notion of joining the champions and may end up playing a crucial role in their midfield configuration.
The former Real Madrid player is being pursued by the Manchester club as a hint that they want to improve their already potent midfield. He could not only provide the team with greater depth but also step in as club captain Ilkay Gundogan’s replacement.
If the deal goes through, Kovacic would leave Stamford Bridge following a five-year stay. The Croatian midfielder, who reportedly makes £100k per week, has been a key component of the Blues’ midfield since he joined the team in 2018.
He has made a huge contribution to their success, notably their UEFA Champions League victory in the 2020–21 season, and has been dubbed “amazing” by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.
The spotlight now switches to the discussions between Manchester City and Chelsea regarding the transfer money for Kovacic, even though the personal terms are almost finished. According to Romano, both clubs would communicate directly to go through the deal’s financial details.
The result of these negotiations will decide the final transfer fee and the viability of the transfer. It will be interesting to see how the negotiations proceed given Chelsea’s openness to consider a sale and Manchester City’s desire to strengthen their midfield.