Mateo Kovacic is reportedly keen on leaving Real Madrid this summer to secure regular playing time and get his career back on track.
Spanish publication Don Balon have reported that Mateo Kovacic is desperate to get his career back on track, with the World Cup less than a year away. The Croat is, therefore, set to ask Zinedine Zidane to move away from Santiago Bernabeu this summer for in search of pastures anew.
Real Madrid had taken no time in snapping Mateo Kovacic up from Inter Milan in the summer of 2015, with the Croatian international widely regarded as one of the most exciting young prospects in Europe. Two years on, though, and the move has been anything but ideal for the player.
The Croat has failed to establish himself as a regular fixture in Zinedine Zidane’s first-team setup at the Bernabeu, with the likes of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos near indispensable figures at the heart of the Real Madrid midfield.
Kovacic is one of the best in the game at holding the ball. It ain’t easy to get the ball from Kocacic. #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/oCb9zG21ja
— RM GIFs (@hbkmano) July 27, 2017
So while Kovacic has featured in 73 matches across all competitions in the last two seasons for Los Blancos, he has only managed to start 35 of them. Nevertheless, he has given a good account of himself in the last two years to continue attracting interest from a host of clubs across Europe.
Chief among these are Tottenham, who have reportedly had their first official offer rejected by Real Madrid. The Lilywhites have been awfully quiet in the transfer market thus far, with Kyle Walker’s move to Manchester City being the only significant movement around the club.
Mauricio Pochettino, though, is believed to be eager to beef up his squad ahead of the 2017/18 season in order to mount a better challenge for the Premier League title. As a result, he has been keen on making reinforcements in different positions this summer, with midfield reportedly a priority.
At the centre of the park, the likes of Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele have done a commendable job for Pochettino. But, Dier often drops back into a three-man central defensive unit whenever the Tottenham boss switches his system, leaving the latter duo as the only two options at his disposal.
Thus, Kovacic has emerged as a viable target for Pochettino. The player’s position at the Bernabeu is at further risk following the arrival of Dani Ceballos. Therefore, with the objective of making Croatia’s squad for next year’s World Cup, the 23-year-old is now ready to seek a move away from the Spanish capital.
Hence, Tottenham might now have a spring in their steps in their pursuit of Kovacic. It now remains to be seen if Spurs are able to secure the services of their target man, or if some other suitor emerges in the race to sign him this summer.
