Manchester City are currently in concrete negotiations to acquire Chelsea’s midfielder Mateo Kovacic after the Blues expressed their willingness to sell him during this summer transfer window.
According to Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League champions have already had positive discussions with Kovacic’s agent, indicating that a mutual understanding is nearing completion.
Guardiola’s City are yet to reach an agreement with Chelsea regarding the transfer fee, but reports suggest that Chelsea have allowed the talks and are willing to let Kovacic go.
The Stamford Bridge occupants are planning to reduce their bloated squad this summer, and Kovacic is one of the players they are considering offloading.
Kovacic’s contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire next year, and it is unlikely that he will receive an extension offer.
Meanwhile, Other clubs aside City have also shown interest in signing the Croatia international, with Bayern Munich and Manchester United keen to add him to their squad.
However, the 29-year-old midfielder’s preference is to join Pep Guardiola’s winning team.
Cityzens will aim to quickly finalize an agreement for Kovacic as there is uncertainty surrounding the future of Ilkay Gundogan at the Etihad Stadium.
The 32-year-old German international’s contract is set to expire, and there have been rumors linking him to both Arsenal and Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are on the verge of securing an impressive treble, with only two final matches left.
In the upcoming days and weeks, City will evaluate their squad and anticipate several departures.
It is expected that they will invest in improving their team, and Kovacic, who was previously rumored to leave Chelsea under Pochettino’s management, is likely to be a part of this strengthening effort.
Mateo Kovacic’s contract, stats, and achievements
Mateo Kovacic joined Chelsea from Real Madrid on loan before the transfer was made permanent for a fee of approximately £45 million in 2019.
Kovacic’s contract has one more year remaining since joining Real Madrid in 2018, initially on loan.
This season, he participated in 37 matches for the Blues, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
He has made 221 appearances across all competitions and has scored 6 goals and provided 15 assists.
During his impressive five-year tenure in west London, Kovacic has won numerous titles including winning the Champions League, Europa League, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek Agrees AC Milan Move
This summer, Chelsea’s main focus is to reduce the size of their first-team squad.
Former managers Graham Potter and Frank Lampard have been dealing with a squad of over 30 players.
Consequently, more than 10 players may be released to reduce the squad size for the new Blues manager Pochettino and Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to be among those who will be let go.
According to reports, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has agreed to join the prestigious Italian giant AC Milan.
As part of the rebuilding process under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea star will be permitted to depart from Stamford Bridge in the next transfer window.
According to our sources, AC Milan are considering replacing Ismael Bennacer with 27-year-old Loftus-Cheek.
Bennacer is currently recovering from a knee injury and he is expected to be out of action until the end of the year.
According to reports, Milan are currently in talks with Chelsea to determine a price for the midfielder and Chelsea are reportedly seeking £21 million for the player.
Meanwhile, Milan’s initial bid is significantly lower at £13m, but reports suggest that they are open to increasing their offer to £17.2m.
Loftus-Cheek’s contract, stats, and achievements
Following Chelsea’s last home game of the season, Loftus-Cheek was seen waving goodbye to the club’s supporters.
Loftus-Cheek’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season.
He was among Chelsea’s players who failed to meet expectations as the Blues suffered a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League.
In the recent campaign, Loftus-Cheek appeared 25 times for the Blues, but unfortunately, he only managed to provide one assist and did not score any goals.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a product of Chelsea’s academy and has played in 275 matches for the club, scoring 19 goals and contributing 29 assists.
In 2016/17, he won the Premier League title, and in 2018/19, he secured the Europa League championship.
In addition, he possesses a Super Cup winners medal from the Blues’ victory in 2021.
Other Chelsea players that could exit
It has been reported that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Edouard Mendy, and Callum Hudson-Odoi are expected to be transferred.
It is currently unclear what the future holds for Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Denis Zakaria is set to return to Juventus after completing his season-long loan.
Additionally, Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah are set to leave as they have garnered interest from other clubs.
