After receiving approval from Chelsea, Mateo Kovacic and Manchester City are in negotiations about a potential summer transfer.
The 29-year-old, who is entering the last year of his deal at Stamford Bridge, is apparently also being pursued by Bayern Munich. However, the player wants to join the recently crowned Premier League winners and is now anticipated to do so.
Kovacic joined Chelsea in 2018, first on a one-year loan and then on a permanent basis for about £45 million on a five-year contract that expires in the summer of 2021.
In an effort to trim down a bloated team, new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is pleased to see Kovacic depart.
While N’Golo Kante’s contract expires this summer and it is uncertain whether he will sign a contract extension, Chelsea are interested in Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Ilkay Gundogan’s contract, which ends at the end of June, has not yet been extended, thus City could lose an experienced midfielder as well. Along with longtime lovers Barcelona, Arsenal is interested.
For the Blues, where Kovacic has made 221 appearances, he has won the UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup.