EPL: Manchester City submit £25m bid for Mateo Kovacic
Manchester City has submitted a £25m bid to sign Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
29-year-old Kovacic has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium in recent weeks and now Manchester City are set to ramp up their interest.
Kovacic has just a year remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge and has admitted that he is likely to leave the Blues this summer.
It’s been also speculated that Chelsea are open to parting ways with the Croatian midfielder as they are aware of the need to balance their books and trim a bloated first-team squad.
Manchester City submitted the £25m bid days after Chelsea granted them permission to speak with Kovacic. The midfielder has since agreed personal terms over a move to the Etihad Stadium.
Previous reports have indicated that Chelsea are looking to receive a fee closer to £35m, but both clubs are keen to find a solution as the midfielder has made it clear that he wants to join the treble winners.
Man City are hopeful of sealing a deal before the end of this month for Kovacic, who represented Croatia in the UEFA Nations League final loss to Spain on Sunday, June 18.
The club’s coach, Pep Guardiola is said to have been an admirer of Kovacic since his time at Spanish giants Real Madrid and is keen to get the deal over the line.
Kovacic spent three seasons in the Real Madrid first team between 2015 and 2018 and won a total of six trophies including three successive Champions Leagues and one La Liga title.
The midfielder initially joined Chelsea on loan from Los Blancos in the summer of 2018 before making his move permanent a year later, and he has since made a total of 221 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and providing 15 assists.
Man City has identified Kovacic as a summer target at a time when club captain Ilkay Gundogan is facing an uncertain future at the Etihad.
The 32-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of this month when his contract expires, and the German who has been linked with both Barcelona and Arsenal recently reiterated that he is yet to make a final decision on his future.
