Man City reach agreement to buy Chelsea midfielder

The Champions League and Premier League champions are closing in on the signing of midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea for a reported $44 million.

According to ESPN , negotiations between Man City and Chelsea have progressed well in recent days, with both sides reaching an agreement on the fee and payment structure.

One of the few remaining issues revolves around how much City will pay Chelsea upfront. The west London club are under pressure to recoup their losses through player sales by the end of this month after spending $668 million on two transfer windows in 2022-23, in the first year of ownership by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Kovacic has been a mainstay of Chelsea for the past five years. Photo: Reuters — Kovacic has been a mainstay of Chelsea for the past five years. Photo: *Reuters*

Chelsea sales completed before 30 June will be included in the first full tax year, and therefore help to minimise losses to assist with compliance with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules.

According to ESPN , although there are still some issues to be resolved, the Man City deal to recruit Kovacic will be completed within the next two weeks. The 29-year-old midfielder has agreed personal terms, and the transfer could progress faster after Kovacic plays for Croatia in the Nations League final against Spain on June 18.

Kovacic played for Dinamo Zagreb, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and then joined Chelsea on loan in 2018 before signing for $50 million a year later. He scored six goals in 221 appearances, winning the Champions League, Europa League, European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

In addition to Kovacic, Man City is also speeding up the negotiation process to recruit Josko Gvardiol. According to British newspaper Sunsport, Man City has no problem negotiating personal terms with the Croatian midfielder, but still needs to agree on a fee with RB Leipzig. The Bundesliga representative is asking for 110 million USD and will keep Gvardiol for another season if he does not receive the full amount.

Gvardiol made a splash at the 2022 World Cup, playing a key role in Croatia's third-place finish. Gvardiol, alongside experienced centre-back Dejan Lovren, formed a shield in front of goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. The 21-year-old made the most clearances (37) and carries (202) of the tournament, while also gaining possession more often than any other defender (48).

In contrast, Man City are looking for a way out for Joao Cancelo - the defender who is on loan at Bayern for the second half of the 2022-2023 season and is no longer in coach Pep Guardiola's plans. But the "Gray Tigers" did not activate the clause to buy Cancelo, because they wanted to sign Kyle Walker. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva is in PSG's sights, Riyad Mahrez has received offers from Saudi Arabian clubs, Ilkay Gundogan's contract will expire on July 1, and the future of Aymeric Laporte and Kalvin Phillips is unclear.

Hong Duy

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