Manchester City has completed the signing of Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic for £30m. According to estimates, the cost will include a £25 million upfront guarantee and a further $5 million dependent on performance. It won’t be long before Kovacic joins the treble-winning squad from the previous season on an official basis. In the summer of 2018, Kovacic moved from Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge, initially on loan. The international player from Croatia has played 221 times for Chelsea and won four major trophies, including his fourth Champions League in 2021.
Mateo Kovacic has one year remaining on his contract and, at 29, is unlikely to be interested in working on the West London redevelopment project, so it is understandable why Chelsea would allow him to depart Stamford Bridge, even for one of their Premier League opponents. There will definitely be some Chelsea supporters who think spending up to £30 million on the midfielder is a wise decision given Kovacic’s record of four goals and 13 assists in 142 Premier League appearances over five years.
While it is true that Kovacic has had little to no impact in the last third of the field, considering his exceptional technical ability, it has always been confusing why he is so hesitant to take shots in uncertain circumstances. As seen by the 18 goals Kovacic scored in eight years for his three previous teams, it is also true that the midfielder was never acquired with the purpose of being an attacking, goal-scoring player.
The Croatian international is most effective in the centre of the pitch. Since entering the Premier League in the summer of 2018, Kovacic has ranked sixth among midfielders for both completed take-ons and passes per 90. Despite having a limited amount of offensive contribution, he is excellent at receiving the ball under pressure, avoiding the press of the opposition, and connecting the defence and offence. However, Mateo Kovacic’s skills are likely what have made Manchester City, who have joined Real Madrid and Inter Milan in adding Kovacic’s name to their glittering roster, fall in love with him. In his professional career, Kovacic has already won 18 titles, including four Champions Leagues.
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