Chelsea star set for shock Man City switch

Stuart Telford

• 21 Apr 2023 20:43 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester City have started talks with Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who has thus far stalled on extending his Chelsea contract beyond the summer of 2024.

Only Mason Mount has played more minutes than Kovacic among Chelsea's midfielders this season, but it has been an abject campaign for all involved at the club.

The Blues sit 11th in the table despite spending more than €600 million since Todd Boehly succeeded Roman Abramovich as owner last May, and are already on their third manager under the American billionaire in Frank Lampard.

READ: Kovacic reveals who was to blame for Potter sacking

With Jorginho sold to Arsenal and N'Golo Kante injured for long period, Kovacic has partnered Enzo Fernandez in central midfield more often than not since January, but the former Real Madrid man could yet have his head turned.

Kovacic meeting

"Mateo Kovacic's representatives met with Manchester City officials on Friday to discuss a possible switch to the Etihad this summer," report Manchester World.

"The Chelsea midfielder has been in negotiations with the London club about extending his contract which ends in 2024, but those talks have stalled and Kovacic is now expected to leave this summer."

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea put ENTIRE squad up for sale

The news comes at a time when Boehly has reportedly put the entire squad on the transfer list, with a need to balance the club's books with the shadow of UEFA's FFP regulations, quite aside from their underperformance on the field.

City see Kovacic as an alternative to Jude Bellingham, should the England international decide to join Real Madrid or Manchester United instead of them this summer, while Ilkay Gundogan looks bound for Barcelona on a free transfer.

City have also previously been linked with a move for Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell, and he and Kovacic could be reunited at the Etihad next season, although they would cost a significant amount.

Kovacic is valued at €34.7 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, with Chilwell coming in at €31.2m.