Chelsea have accepted that they are likely to lose Mateo Kovacic this summer with interest in the midfielder from Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Kovacic has a year left on his deal and the uncertainty over his contract has put his future in doubt. Chelsea, who will not be playing in Europe next season, need to decrease the size of their squad after a wild spending spree and their owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, are reluctant to keep players once they have entered the final 12 months of their contract.
The club are under pressure to raise funds through sales and Kovacic is likely to be one of several high-profile departures. The desire to ensure that players do not leave on free transfers could also prompt Chelsea to sell Mason Mount. The England midfielder, who has a year left on his deal, is being heavily pursued by Liverpool. Arsenal, Bayern and United are also interested in him.
Kovacic, who has won the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup at Chelsea, is in a similar situation to Mount. There is no indication an agreement will be reached with the Croatia international over a contract extension. The situation is unlikely to change before the end of the season and Kovacic, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, will not be short of options if he seeks a fresh challenge.
The 29-year-old was a key player for Thomas Tuchel when the German was in charge of Chelsea and the pair could be set for a reunion at Bayern. The situation is also being monitored by City, who could need to strengthen in midfield if they lose Ilkay Gündogan on a free transfer. Competition could come from United, who will place a heavy emphasis on adding greater physicality this summer.
Kovacic is an excellent ball carrier and his tactical intelligence would make him a smart signing for a lot of top sides. Losing him would be a blow for Chelsea, although they do have options in midfield. They signed Enzo Fernández for £106.8m last January and are trying to reach an agreement with N’Golo Kanté who is out of contract at the end of the season.
