After initially joining Chelsea on loan from Real Madrid in 2018, Mateo Kovacic later secured a permanent move to the club for a fee of £40 million.
The Croatian midfielder has enjoyed a successful tenure at Stamford Bridge, winning four significant trophies, including the coveted Champions League title in 2021.
Kovacic’s contract with Chelsea is set to expire in one year’s time, and he has amassed an impressive 221 appearances for the club thus far.
It’s true that Kovacic’s impact in the final third has been modest at best, while his reluctance to shoot from dangerous positions has always been a curiosity given his excellent technical ability.
But it’s also true that Kovacic was never signed to be an attacking, goal-scoring midfielder, as a total of 18 goals in eight years for his three previous clubs should have shown.
Instead, the Croatia international’s strengths lie at the heart of midfield. Since he arrived in the Premier League in the summer of 2018, Kovacic ranks fifth for both completed take-ons and passes per 90 among midfielders.
He excels at receiving the ball under pressure, moving upfield by beating the opponents’ press and linking the defence to the attack – skills that are often overlooked due to his limited attacking output.
But it’s those skills that have likely endeared him to Manchester City, who follow Real Madrid and Inter Milan in adding their name to the glittering CV of Kovacic, who has already won 18 trophies – including four Champions Leagues – during his career.
It’s easy to see Kovacic slotting seamlessly into Pep Guardiola’s side, either as competition for Rodri as the pivot – which would spell bad news for Kalvin Phillips – or as a potential replacement for impending free agent Ilkay Gundogan as one of the No 8s.
Cashing in on Kovacic before his contract runs down is sensible for Chelsea but, if Guardiola wants a player, it’s usually a sign that they’re a player worth having.