Mateo Kovacic has completed a move to Manchester City, Chelsea have just announced on their official website.
The Croatian made 221 appearances in a 5 year spell at the club, and leaves with a Champions League, a Europa League, a UEFA Super Cup and a Club World Cup to his name. His first permanent season at the club also saw him named as the supporters player of the year.
With just one year left on his contract he always looked likely to leave this summer, after what was frankly a personally disappointing campaign even accounting for the disaster taking place around him. Once it became Manchester City were keen and ready to bid a decent amount, this has seemed like an inevitability.
Enzo Fernandez will take on his role as the creative force in midfield, but it does mean we’re looking thinner and thinner in the middle of the park. Ruben Loftus-Cheek looks to be close to a departure too, which surely rules out any move for Conor Gallagher this year.
Sources are saying this is a £25m fee plus £5m in add ons. That’s good money for a player with one year left, although it will all have to be reinvested in a replacement if we want to avoid going backwards this summer.
Can we find a better player for that kind of money? It won’t be easy. Over to you, co-sporting directors…
