Manchester City have opened talks to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic as Pep Guardiola could potentially lose Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva this summer.
What are Manchester City's midfield transfer plans?
Reports have claimed that with Gundgoan a free agent this summer, he has been in contact with Barcelona over a Bosman transfer to the Nou Camp. The German will continue talks with the Blaugrana following the FA Cup and Champions League finals to come.
Meanwhile, another report has suggested that those at the Etihad Stadium will not stand in Silva's way if he requests a move abroad. Barcelona are also keen on the player, although a £75m valuation set by the Premier League champions could be too much for the Catalan giants.
City may need to replace Gundogan and have seemingly already begun that process. According to Fabrizio Romano, City have opened concrete talks to sign Kovacic. The Italian journalist describes talks over personal terms between the club and Kovacic's camp as "positive".
"Manchester City have opened concrete talks to sign Mateo Kovacic in the summer. Positive discussions took place with player’s camp in the last few days over personal terms.
"Chelsea, open to selling Kovacic as part of midfield revolution. Talks will continue soon."
The Croatian currently earns £150,000-a-week with Chelsea but his contract with the Blues comes to an end in June 2024, as per Spotrac.
Why would Pep Guardiola want Mateo Kovacic at Manchester City?
The midfielder has a wealth of experience at the top level, boasting 221 Chelsea appearances, 109 with Real Madrid as well as 97 appearances for Inter Milan. Hailed as an "unbelievable footballer" in the media, he could prove to b a shrewd signing by City.
Even for those not familiar with Kovacic, his numbers paint a beautiful picture for a coach like Guardiola. Fbref reports that the 29-year-old has some of the best passing stats in the world when compared to other midfielders. Not only is he in the 92nd percentile for passes completed, Kovacic has some of the best stats around when progressive passing is considered. On average, he plays 8.7 passes per 90 into the final third, illustrating his ability to slide passes between the lines.
This is a key element of the Man City tactical system. Gundogan, a player Guardiola may miss dearly even if he is adequately replaced, plays 5.5 passes into the final third per 90.
Throughout his career, Kovacic has also been successful, winning the Champions League once with Chelsea and three times with Real Madrid. He also won the Europa League in 2018/19 and La Liga in 2016/17. That personal collection of achievements may grow even further with a possible move to Man City, and it looks as if a deal is one to watch.