Mateo Kovacic Manchester City official: Manchester City have officially confirmed the arrival of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. The player has signed a contract until 2027 with the Mancunian side, and will be wearing the number 8 shirt which was previously worn by Ilkay Gundogan at the club.
The Croatian becomes the first new signing of the summer transfer window for the treble winners. Manchester City are also looking to sign Declan Rice and Josko Gvardiol in order to bolster their squad ahead of the coming season.
Mateo Kovacic Manchester City transfer now confirmed
Chelsea will receive £25 million for the midfielder upfront, with £5 million available in the form of add-ons. Kovacic has spent four years with Chelsea since joining them from Real Madrid. His loan move was turned permanent in 2020, when the Blues were hit with a transfer ban.
Since then, he has helped the London club win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. When fit, he has been a very valuable option for the team, and his incredible dribbling skills have helped him add a very dynamic presence to the team.
The same will be expected of him when he plays under Pep Guardiola. The Croatian will be replacing Ilkay Gundogan at the club, with the Germany captain joining Barcelona. After winning every available trophy with the Mancunian side, he will be pursuing a new challenge in his career.
Mateo Kovacic Manchester City transfer: Guardiola’s Gundogan replacement?
Although Mateo Kovacic will surely provide a huge impact in the centre of the park, his contribution will be different to that of Gundogan. The German made a habit of not only dictating play from deep areas but also sprouting up in the penalty box and scoring goals.
And that has never quite been the strong point for Kovacic, who has rarely scored for Chelsea. And to expect him to have a striker’s instinct inside the opposition’s box like Gundogan will be a mistake. Instead, he will be able to function as an incredible ball carrier, while also transitioning defence to attack with line breaking passes.
