Bayern Munich are eyeing up a move for Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic this summer.
Thomas Tuchel, who worked with Kovacic during his time at Stamford Bridge, is plotting a reunion with the Croatia international to try and lure him to the Allianz Arena in the transfer window. Kovacic has been a regular in the Blues side this season despite his injury worries, making 34 appearances across all competitions.
However, with Chelsea set to miss out on Champions League and any European football next season, Kovacic could be tempted to move away. According to Sport 1, Bayern are interested in a switch for Kovacic and Tuchel wants to make the switch happen and work with the former Real Madrid man again.
Bayern are keen to get a deal done as Tuchel begins to reshape his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season. The German club have also been linked with a move for Ollie Watkins and Harry Kane this summer.
But Kovacic is emerging as Bayern's no.1 midfield transfer target given the relationship Tuchel had with the player at Chelsea. Tuchel reportedly considered Kovacic as one of his 'absolute favourite players' at the Blues and it is 'no real surprise' that he is being linked with a move to the Bundesliga side.
Having also been tipped with a move to Manchester City, Kovacic could have a plethora of options to chose from this summer - should he decide to leave Chelsea. The Daily Mail claimed back in March that City were tracking the progress of Kovacic with the midfielder set to enter the final 12 months of his contract in June.
Kovacic initially joined the Blues on loan from Real Madrid for the 2018/19 season but made the move permanent in the following summer, signing a five-year deal. He became one of Chelsea's important players under Frank Lampard as they qualified for the Champions League, before taking his game to a new level when Tuchel took over.
He was part of the squad that helped the Blues beat Man City to win Europe's most coveted club prize and became an even more crucial asset to Tuchel in the 2021/22 season as the Blues battled for more trophies. Kovacic started in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup final under Tuchel last term.
But with Chelsea enduring a torturous season under four different managers, it is almost certain they will miss out on European football next season. The Blues currently sit in 12th on 39 points from their 32 matches, a mammoth 15 points behind seventh-place Aston Villa.
Chelsea are next in action when they travel to Arsenal in the Premier League on Tuesday night as they aim to get back to winning ways after defeat to Brentford last time out.
