Manchester City are said to be in a race with Manchester United for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The Croat is in the final 15 months of his Blues contract and is seems to closer to signing a renewal at Stamford Bridge.
When fit, the 28-year-old is a key starter for Graham Potter although sporadic injury has capped this season's appearances to 27 so far. Kovacic, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, could make an exit as his club tries to keep within Financial Fair Play rules after making 17 signings across both transfer windows within the past year.
A report from 90min claims City are keeping tabs on him with the player’s representatives said to be weighing up their client’s options ahead of the summer. The article claims both United and Liverpool have also penned an interest in Kovacic.
Also read: Man City transfer advantage over rivals that shows no sign of slowing down
Todd Boehly’s supposed stance of not allowing players to leave for free could see a number of players leave before their contracts expire during his tenure.
Mason Mount, Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpliciueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic all see their deals run dry next year while N’Golo Kante’s contract expires this summer.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are very keen on City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, according to The Athletic. The Germany international’s contract expires this summer and it looks increasingly likely that the club captain will leave in three months’ time.
Xavi is said to have earmarked him as a summer Barcelona target with the Spaniards set for a tough financial window amid their huge debts. The La Liga leaders had been linked with Bernardo Silva after both held discussions last summer, albeit no formal offer was ultimately made.
With Silva contracted until 2025, Barcelona are favouring the soon-to-be free agent Gundogan, who turned 32 in October. The player has seen no advancements in City contract talks but could still accept a lower wage packet if he agrees to a move to Spain, the article says.
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