Manchester United are reportedly set to make a move for Mateo Kovacic, and are willing to offer €30 million for the Real Madrid midfielder.
According to a report by Spanish publication Don Balon, Manchester United have revisited their interest in Mateo Kovacic, who has remained on the fringes at Real Madrid this season. The Premier League heavyweights are ready to test Los Blancos’ resolve, with a €30 million bid on the cards.
Kovacic joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in the summer of 2015, with a lot of excitement and hype surrounding his talent. Widely regarded as one of the most exciting young midfielders in the world back then, the player was supposed to set Santiago Bernabeu alight.
But, nearly 30 months into the move, it has hardly been an ideal switch for the Croat, who has struggled to establish himself as a regular in the first-team setup at Real Madrid. With Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos near indispensables, it has been nigh on impossible for Kovacic to be a regular.
The same has continued for the player this season as well as, bar a two-month injury layoff period, he has started just three games in addition to three other appearances off the bench. Despite not featuring prominently for Los Blancos in the period though, Kovacic still remains a popular figure in the transfer market.
Jose Mourinho is a long term fan of Mateo Kovacic and wants to bring the midfielder to #mufc, with Madrid valuing him at £27m.
[Don Balon] pic.twitter.com/CsV8juBhZl
— ً (@TraffordVoice) December 15, 2017
One club that is ready to offer a route out of the Bernabeu to the youngster is Manchester United, who have followed his progress for several years now. There have been widespread reports that Jose Mourinho will bolster his squad in the winter transfer window, despite comments denying the same.
Midfield seems to be a priority for the Manchester United manager, with his side looking short on creativity whenever Paul Pogba has been unavailable. Ander Herrera’s struggles this season, combined with Michael Carrick’s long injury layoff haven’t helped matters much.
With the latter also approaching the end of his glittering career, the Red Devils would likely be in need of a long-term replacement anyway, and Kovacic is a viable target, with his qualities on the ball. The Croat might welcome the move to Old Trafford as well, as he looks to cement his place in his national side ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
One bone of contention in his pursuit would be his ineligibility to represent Manchester United in the Champions League, having already played for Real Madrid. But, Mourinho is ready to sanction a €30 million move for the player, with negotiations set to get underway as soon as the transfer window opens.
It now remains to be seen if a move sees the light of the day, with mere days remaining before the transfer window opens in January, or if Manchester United are forced to turn their attention elsewhere.
