Raheem Sterling has already provided insight into what Manchester City think of Mateo Kovacic as the Croatian midfielder is linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium. Kovacic is one of a host of Chelsea players out of contract in 2024 and little has been done to put some certainty on his future.
With consistent injury niggles keeping him out for large parts of this season it is easy to forget how important Kovacic has been to Chelsea in the past two years. His lack of goals or general attacking output has rarely made him the star but with wider fitness setbacks for others he has been of vital importance.
At 28 there is still time ahead of him and no reason to panic just yet regarding his contract but the stall has been set out with Mason Mount for the summer, either players sign on for the ride or they will be sold. Todd Boehly has already been stung be the fallout from contract negotiations with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen from last year and doesn't want a repeat.
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As a world class player when fit there is a market for Kovacic but it is perhaps one run by Premier League sides due to the financial dominance over Europe. This is evident by the fact that Manchester City are interested in signing the Croatian midfielder, according to the Telegraph.
Like most of the continent's biggest clubs the reigning champions are keen to bring in at least one standout midfielder in the summer. Chelsea are in the same camp and losing Kovacic would only hamper their strength in that area but if it is necessary for business then it won't be off the table.
It is also said that N'Golo Kante is getting close to signing a new deal which would give the Blues an added bonus in the centre of the pitch and opens it up for Kovacic to move elsewhere.
As for Pep Guardiola's specific interest, Sterling made it clear upon his arrival just how much Kovacic used to catch the eye. "Mateo Kovacic to be fair," Sterling replied quickly when asked by BT Sport who the most impressive player at Chelsea was. "When we used to play him for Manchester City I used to think 'oh my good gosh,' I'm not going to lie.
"I always used to think 'oh my gosh.' I used to love playing with Mason [Mount] for England as well. He's just a little busy, always getting on the ball and stuff. But those two for sure. There was a few times Kova was doing some serious stuff against us."
Sterling and Kovacic haven't had the chance during a crazy season to properly form a relationship on the pitch and have summed up the widescale issues at the club. The Croatian making a move at this stage of his career, especially to Manchester, also isn't out of the blue after Guardiola himself was seen speaking to Kovacic at full time after the 1-0 league win at Stamford Bridge in January.
It's not the first time the manager has had moments like that with players before then snapping them up and his methods may have just worked their magic once again.
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