Manchester United have entered the race for the services of 29-year-old Mateo Kovacic, who is close to joining Manchester City.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness, Manchester United have entered the race for the signatures of Mateo Kovacic. The 29-year-old is expected to leave Chelsea in the summer and there are quite a few clubs keen on having him in their ranks.
Kovacic joined Chelsea back in the summer of 2018 from Real Madrid. Initially, he joined the Blues on a one-year loan deal, but it was made permanent in the following summer on the back of his impressive performances.
The former Real Madrid star remains an important part of the Blues setup despite them spending a fortune on acquiring new players. The 29-year-old has featured in 37 matches in the current campaign and has a total of four goal contributions. But, it seems his time at the club is about to end in the near future.
While his contract at the London club runs until the summer of 2024, the 29-year-old is likely to part ways with the club in the summer. The Blues have spent a lot on acquiring players over the last few windows and now they will have to offload quite a few players to balance the books. Their new manager Mauricio Pochettino has already planned a mass clear-out and Kovacic is a name on the list.
With Chelsea ready to sell, Manchester City are keen on acquiring the 29-year-old Croatian international. Pep Guardiola’s men are looking for a potential replacement of Ilkay Gundogan whose contract runs out in the summer.
Kovacic has all the qualities needed to fill the big boots of Gundogan. However, Manchester City are not the only ones in the race. Manchester United have joined the race and they are keen on having the former Real Madrid star at their disposal.
Manchester United are expected to give Erik ten Hag a decent purse to strengthen his team. And, he is keen on adding a midfielder alongside a star striker. The Dutch manager wants to add a midfielder who can form a dependable partnership in the centre of the park with Casemiro. And, Kovacic seems to be the perfect fit.
With Manchester United ready to battle it out with City for the signatures of the Croatian international, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
