According to Don Balon, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho wants to sign Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic in the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
Mourinho recently refused to rule out January signings at Old Trafford as the Portuguese considers boosting his squad at the mid-point of the campaign.
Michael Carrick’s absence has been a big one for United this term, while the uncertainty surrounding the future of Marouane Fellaini has left the Red Devils short of options in the middle of the park.
Scott McTominay has emerged impressively in recent weeks, but it is thought that Mourinho wants another central midfielder in his first-team squad.
According to Don Balon, Real Madrid midfielder Kovacic has been identified as the perfect signing, with the United boss believing that a bid in the region of £27m would be enough to convince the Spanish and European champions to sell.
Would Kovacic be a good fit at United?
Kovacic, 23, joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in the summer of 2015.
He is fast closing on 100 appearances for the Spanish giants, but the presence of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro at the Bernabeu has made it difficult for the Croatian international to gain a regular spot in the team.
Indeed, Kovacic, who is a 38-time Croatia international, has not started a single league match for Real Madrid this season.
An energetic midfielder with an impressive range of passing, there is no question that Kovacic has the attributes to play in the Premier League. He is still young, but has a wealth of experience at the top level.
United need a player that will complement Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba in the middle of the park, and Kovacic could prove to be a very smart signing for the 20-time English champions.
