Manchester City and Manchester United hover as Mateo Kovacic eyes Chelsea exit

The Blues have accepted the midfielder is likely to leave this summer with Bayern Munich also interested.

Thu, 11 May, 2023 - 07:50

Jacob Steinberg

Chelsea have accepted that they are likely to lose Mateo Kovacic this summer, amid interest in the midfielder from Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Kovacic has a year left on his deal and the uncertainty over his contract has put his future in doubt. Chelsea, who will not be playing in Europe next season, need to decrease the size of their squad after a wild spending spree and their owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, are reluctant to keep players once they have entered the final 12 months of their contract.

The club are under pressure to raise funds through sales and Kovacic is likely to be one of several high-profile departures. The desire to ensure that players do not leave on free transfers could also prompt Chelsea to sell Mason Mount. The England midfielder, who has a year left on his deal, is being heavily pursued by Liverpool. Arsenal, Bayern and United are also interested in him.

Kovacic, who has won the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup at Chelsea, is in a similar situation to Mount. There is no indication an agreement will be reached with the Croatia international over a contract extension. The situation is unlikely to change before the end of the season and Kovacic, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, will not be short of options if he seeks a fresh challenge.

The 29-year-old was a key player for Thomas Tuchel when the German was in charge of Chelsea and the pair could be set for a reunion at Bayern. The situation is also being monitored by City, who could need to strengthen in midfield if they lose Ilkay Gündogan on a free transfer. Competition could come from United, who will place a heavy emphasis on adding greater physicality this summer.

Kovacic is an excellent ball carrier and his tactical intelligence would make him an a smart signing for a lot of top sides. Losing him would be a blow for Chelsea, although they do have options in midfield. They signed Enzo Fernández for £106.8m last January and are trying to reach an agreement with N’Golo Kanté over a new deal. Kanté is out of contract at the end of the season.

Meanwhile Sergio Busquets will leave Barcelona this summer, ending an 18-year association with the club. The 34-year-old midfielder, who joined the Catalans’ youth team in 2005, made his first-team debut in 2008 but has decided to move on after turning down the offer of a new contract on reduced terms.

“The time has come to announce that this will be my last season with Barca,” he said in a farewell video released by Barcelona. “It has been an unforgettable journey. I always dreamed of playing with this shirt and at this stadium and reality has exceeded all my dreams.

“I wouldn’t have believed it you if you had told me when I arrived as a youth player that I would play 15 seasons at the best club in the world and surpass 700 matches. It has been an honour, a dream, a source of pride and meant everything to defend and represent this badge for so many years. Although it has not been an easy decision I think the time has come.”

Busquet, whose 718 matches for Barcelona put him third on the club’s all-time list of appearances, has won eight league titles – soon to become nine – three Champions Leagues, seven Copas del Rey, seven Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups and three Club World Cups. Busquets, who retired from international duty last year, holds the record for playing in more Clasicos than any other player with 48 appearances against Barcelona’s rivals Real Madrid.

He could add another league title to his achievements this season, with Barcelona leading the table by 13 points with five games remaining.

His next stop is expected to be Saudi Arabia as talks are understood to be advanced. A report on Spanish TV show El Chiringuito de Jugones said that Busquets has accepted an offer by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal along with Lionel Messi. Messi’s father has said the Argentinian has not “signed or agreed” a deal.

Guardian