Mateo Kovacic has dropped a major hint that he will leave Chelsea this summer. The Croatian has been an integral figure of the Blues midfield for the last five years but is one of many who may depart Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Manchester City have opened talks to sign Kovacic in recent days with Pep Guardiola also eyeing a mini-midfield rebuild. According to Fabrizio Romano, positive discussions have taken place with the player’s camp over personal terms. before adding that Chelsea are open to selling Kovacic as part of their midfield revolution with talks set to continue soon.
The 29-year-old featured prominently under Graham Potter with Frank Lampard also often choosing to deploy him alongside Enzo Fernandez. Kovacic joins the list of potential departures as part of a mass squad overhaul set to be conducted at Stamford Bridge.
Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz are just a few who face uncertain futures, while N'Golo Kante is on the verge of joining Al Ittihad after completing his medical in London.
Any move to Etihad Stadium is yet to advance significantly, but Kovacic has delivered a major admission on his future which hints towards an exit. “I have one more year with Chelsea, this season was very bad," Kovacic told Croatian outlet Nacional.
"Everything is going towards the fact that after 5 good years, I will change the center, but in football anything can happen. Right now, I’m focused on Croatia and the League of Nations."
As for incomings in Kovacic's position, Manuel Ugarte was the early priority target but a staggering wage offer from Paris Saint-Germain, who were rivalling the Blues for his signature, resulted in the west Londoners pulling out of the race.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Done deal, Onana swap proposal, Havertz twist
Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Manu Kone are also on the short list of targets with at least two additions expected in west London. A source has told football.london that Chelsea are confident they can strike a deal with Brighton for the Ecuador international this summer.
However, the Seagulls are in a strong position when it comes to Caicedo, with the midfielder penning a long-term contract extension earlier in the year.
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