Rio Ferdinand has encouraged Manchester United to ditch their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong in favour of a move for Mateo Kovacic. The 29-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a switch to Manchester City recently, with his contract at Stamford Bridge expiring in 12 months.
football.london understands that the Blues are preparing to offload Kovacic this summer, with Bayern Munich also said to be interested in his services. It's believed that talks of an extension on his deal in west London have not yet taken place, meaning the Croatia international will become a free agent at the end of next season.
Thomas Tuchel is said to be keen on reuniting with Kovacic, who enjoyed a great vein of form under the German during their time together at Chelsea. However, Pep Guardiola is also understood to be a huge admirer of the Croatian, with the English champions vying for his signature.
