Chelsea have accepted that Mateo Kovacic is likely to leave the club this summer, with Manchester United joining a growing list of clubs interested in signing him.
The 29-year-old has been a key player for the Blues since joining from Real Madrid in 2018, but his contract expires in the summer of 2024 and now it seems difficult to accept an extension.
Kovacic's precarious contract situation has been warned for Bayern Munich, with Thomas Tuchel keen to find the Croatian midfielder in Bavaria.
Manchester City are also said to be very interested in Kovacic and have even opened talks with his side, with the midfielder potentially replacing the rebel who signed Ilkay Gundogan at the Etihad.
Now The Guardian reports that Chelsea have almost given up hope of persuading Kovacic to sign new terms and are ready to pay the former Inter player when the transfer window opens. The West Londoners have a bloated squad and need to liquidate a bunch of players this summer before they can think about adding any new additions to the team.
While they would ideally want to offload the fringe players, it was realized that multiple heirs to their needs wouldn't generate much money.
Chelsea midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Thomas Tuchel
However, Kovacic is likely to pay a hefty fee with only a year left on his contract - especially with such a string of illustrious pursuers beginning to take shape.
Manchester United are also keen to sign the Croatia international, with Erik ten Hag keen to add more physicality and tactics to their midfield - two boxes Kovacic ticked.
The Red Devils have their eyes on West Ham captain Declan Rice, but with The Irons potentially demanding up to £100m, Kovacic could be a better value target. Chelsea now have a policy of avoiding players entering the final year of their contracts after being affected by the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers.
As well as listening to offers for Kovacic, the Blues hierarchy are also ready to spend money on Mason Mount if he doesn't commit to new terms this summer.
For his part, Kovacic is said to be keen to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, regardless of the appointment of a new coach, and wants to continue playing in the Champions League - while Chelsea won't even get to play in Europe.
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The Real Madrid train only comes once, unless you're Kylian Mbappe, and the boarding door stays open. However, when the 2022-23 season comes to an end and the summer transfer window opens in a few weeks, Mbappé-Real Madrid resurfaces.
The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that the Spanish club had put the 24-year-old back on the agenda. Los Blancos seem to want to add the France international along with Jude Bellingham.
Kylian Mbappe returns to #RealMadrid with Jude Bellingham deal this summer https:
//t.co/AIcoOTm4UM
– Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) May 10, 2023
During the 2021-22 season, there are constantly rumors surrounding Mbappe's future. However, the PSG star remained with his hometown club and signed a contract extension until 2025.
However, reports say the capital club want to build around the striker; With the possible departures of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr., it looks like PSG are finally building a team around their star player rather than playing a virtual sport.
Sports advisor Luis Campos is leading the squad building and is someone Mbappe believes in, so we'll see if those rumors continue into the summer months.
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