Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all interested in Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic
According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, European giants Chelsea, Barcelona, and Real Madrid are keeping close tabs on Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic.
The Croatian international is one of Nerazzurri’s key players and is considered undroppable when fit. Brozovic provides the anchoring presence in central midfield, helping dictate play and give the likes of Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella the freedom to push forward.
Brozovic’s absence through injury or suspension has largely coincided with a drop-off in Inter’s performances. To consider him one of the stars at the Giuseppe Meazza would be an understatement. At 30, Brozovic is at his prime and can still do a good job for the next few years.
A solid defensive midfielder is worth his price in today’s market and the impact he can make on a side can be gauged from the impact that Casemiro has had at Manchester United. It thus makes sense that the Croatian international is attracting attention from some of Europe’s top sides.
Chelsea have been anything but frugal in their transfer dealings, but one area of the squad that could do with generous investment is the midfield. N’Golo Kante and Jorginho’s contracts are up in the summer, and unless it is renewed, the Blues will find themselves short of experience and leadership in a key area of the squad.
Chelsea have largely focussed on youth in their dealings and could do with some experience to balance the roster. Brozovic could provide that foundation in midfield for younger players to thrive off.
The same can be said of Barcelona, who have to replace an ageing Sergio Busquets. Franck Kessie has also failed to hit the mark at the Spotify Nou Camp and could be on his way out. Inter are one of the sides linked with the Ivory Coast international, and it remains to be seen if an exchange deal can do the job.
Real Madrid also have the tough job of replacing Luka Modric and Toni Kroos sooner rather than later. While the arrivals of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni do future-proof their roster to an extent, adding Brozovic could prove to be the coup de grace. There is also a sense of romanticism should Brozovic go on to replace his international compatriot Modric at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Inter are not averse to selling Brozovic and could seek €30m for his services. The 30-year-old is also among Inter’s top earners, meaning that selling him could free up around €6.5 million in wages. Hakan Calhanoglu has thrived as a deep-lying playmaker of late and provides the Nerazzurri with a ready-made replacement for the Croatian.
The Nerazzurri are not in the best of financial positions and appear set to cash in on Denzel Dumfries and Brozovic. However, unless they can replace the duo appropriately, the impact could be felt on the pitch sooner or later.
