Manchester City are close to signing Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, with a verbal agreement reached, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
What’s the latest Man City transfer news involving Kovacic?
Pep Guardiola’s side completed a historic treble, sealing the achievement with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final last weekend. There have been plenty of celebrations between everyone involved at the club and the supporters, however, it looks as if those at the Etihad are already working on summer signings.
One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester is Kovacic, who has been on the books at Stamford Bridge since 2018. The Croatia international, hailed as an "unbelievable footballer" in the media, will soon be entering the final 12 months of his Chelsea deal and a move north looks to be on the cards.
Plettenberg took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to provide an update on the transfer talk between City and Kovacic. He said that a move is close, with a verbal agreement reached.
“Everything is going in the right direction. Kovacic is close to join MCFC & Pep. Verbal agreement is done confirmed. Negotiations between Man City and CFC should follow this week.”
How much does Mateo Kovacic earn?
Kovacic, sponsored by Nike, can play in a defensive, central or attacking midfield role, so should provide Guardiola with a versatile midfield option next season. He also has a history of winning plenty of honours, for example, he has won the Champions League on four separate occasions and the Europa League once.
A player like Kovacic could be needed over the coming month, especially if captain Ilkay Gundogan decides against renewing his Etihad contract over the coming weeks, as has been speculated.
Kovacic also has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, turning out on 142 occasions in the top flight. And ranks in the 98th percentile for passes into the final third, so could prove to be a shrewd addition in midfield.
He currently picks up £150,000-a-week in London, the biggest wage of his career to date, so it’ll be interesting to see the terms he has seemingly agreed with City. A transfer fee still needs to be agreed between the two clubs, though, but at this moment in time, it appears as if Kovacic could be the first through the door this summer to link up with the treble winners.
