Manchester City ‘are interested in Mateo Kovacic as an alternative to Jude Bellingham’ with Pep Guardiola planning to overhaul their midfield amid uncertainty over Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva
- Mateo Kovacic has shone at Chelsea since he arrived from Real Madrid in 2018
- The Croatian star is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer.
- Man City are reportedly eyeing a move for him, with Pep Guardiola as an admirer.
Manchester City are reportedly considering a move for Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic with the midfielder set to enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer.
Kovacic, 28, has been an integral member of the Blues since joining from Real Madrid in 2018, racking up 207 appearances in all competitions.
He has also made 91 caps for Croatia and has been a key part of Zlatko Dalic’s side in their memorable second and third place finishes at the last two World Cups.
However, he is one of several Chelsea players with a contract that expires in 2024 and, following the departures of defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen at the end of their free transfer deals last summer, the new regime led by Todd Boehly is determined. to avoid scenarios where players enter the final year of their contracts.
By taking over, Blues ownership inherited a situation where Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho were heading into the last 12 months of their contracts.
Man City are interested in Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic, whose contract expires in 2024
Pep Guardiola is reportedly a big fan of Kovacic and is likely to upgrade his midfield this summer.
City are interested in signing Jude Bellingham, but they are not expected to be favorites
Jorginho was sold to Arsenal for £12m in January, while Silva signed a new contract and Kante is expected to do the same in the coming weeks.
And it is that, according to the Telegraph, the situation with Kovacic has alerted Man City with Pep Guardiola understood as a great fan of the Croatian midfielder.
A midfield revamp is expected to take place at the Etihad this summer, with the uncertain future of Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan – both players have been linked with Barcelona – while it remains to be seen what happens with Kalvin Phillips, with the The former Leeds star has struggled hard over the minutes since his £45m summer move.
City are also one of several clubs interested in signing Jude Bellingham, but they are not reported to be top candidates for the English wunderkind.
The 19-year-old has attracted interest from Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea, among others.
However, the report indicates that Guardiola’s team could sign more than one midfielder in the summer and Kovacic would likely be available for a reasonable price given his age and contractual situation if he does not renew his current deal.
He could also be seen as a top-class alternative for Bellingham if they are unsuccessful in their search for the Borussia Dortmund star.
The regime led by Todd-Boehly (left) is keen to prevent players from entering the final year of their contract.
Kovacic (third from left) has been an integral member of the Croatian team in recent years.
There is uncertainty about the future of Ilkay Gundogan (left) and Bernardo Silva (right)
There is further intrigue to the speculation given that City were interested in the 28-year-old before he moved to Chelsea, initially on loan in 2018, then signed a permanent deal worth £40m the following season.
Guardiola was also seen chatting with the midfielder after City beat Chelsea 1-0 earlier this year in a game he had starred in.
Similarly, after moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer, former City star Raheem Sterling also revealed that Kovacic was the player who caught his eye the most when facing Chelsea.
The Blues are understood to be aware of the situation regarding Kovacic, who has featured 23 times in all competitions this season but missed Sunday’s dismal 2-0 loss to Tottenham through injury.
