Chelsea have confirmed their first signing of the summer transfer window, with Mateo Kovacic joining from Real Madrid on a five-year deal.
Chelsea have made an official announcement to confirm that they have secured the services of Mateo Kovacic after reaching an agreement with Real Madrid to sign the midfielder in the summer transfer window. The Croatian international has signed a five-year contract with the Blues.
Mateo Kovacic joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in the summer of 2015, amid a lot of hype and excitement surrounding his promising talent. But, the Croat never quite managed to settle in at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos the firm first-choice midfielders.
.@Mateo_Kova23 is here to stay! ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 1, 2019
After failing to become a regular for Los Blancos, Kovacic joined Chelsea on a season-long loan deal last summer. And, the move paid off to an extent as the 25-year-old finally managed to feature week-in week-out at club level.
The Croatian international made 51 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions last season, playing a key role in their UEFA Europa League triumph. Other than his solid displays in Europe, however, Kovacic was underwhelming at times and failed to find the back of the net even once.
Nevertheless, he made enough of an impression for the Blues to make a swoop for him and try to secure his services this summer. And, the player now has the chance to set the record straight in the upcoming season, having joined Chelsea on a permanent basis.
The Premier League heavyweights have been able to complete the deal for the Croat despite their transfer ban because the permanent transfer is an extension of his loan deal. Kovacic has put pen to paper on a five-year contract that will run through till the summer of 2024, and he expressed his happiness at having made the move to Chelsea a permanent one.
“I really enjoyed my season on loan with Chelsea, I feel comfortable at the club and like London and the Premier League very much. I am very happy to be able to join permanently. We had a successful year, winning the Europa League and I hope I can make a big contribution in the coming seasons.”
Despite a far from satisfactory season, signing Kovacic on a five-year deal ought to be seen as a top move for Chelsea, seeing as they will be unable to bring in any other reinforcements this summer.
With Frank Lampard edging closer to being appointed as the new Chelsea manager, having Kovacic at his disposal should pave way for some stability and it remains to be seen if the Croat can turn on the style after joining the Blues on a permanent basis.
