Chelsea are set to sell a number of senior players this summer as Mauricio Pochettino aims to trim down the squad and decide which stars he wants to work with at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window. The Croatia international has spent the last five years with the Blues but could be sold ahead of next season.
Player stance
According to The Athletic, Kovacic prefers a move to City over a switch to Bayern Munich where he could reunite with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel. The Blues have granted the Premier League champions permission to speak to the Croatian.
City open 'concrete' talks to sign Kovacic
According to Fabrizio Romano, positive discussions have taken place with player’s camp in the last few days over personal terms. The transfer guru added that Chelsea are open to selling Kovacic as part of their midfield revolution with talks set to continue soon.
Man City talks in London
Croatian journalist Haris Mrkonja revealed back in April that Kovacic's representatives were in London to talks to City about a potential move in the summer.
The Chelsea midfielder sees his contract at Stamford Bridge expire at the end of next season, and he's currently valued at £22.1million by the CIES Football Observatory. Ahead of Raheem Sterling's move to west London in the summer, he revealed that the Croatian always caught his eye.
Pep Guardiola conversation
In January, when Chelsea welcomed the Premier League champions to Stamford Bridge, Guardiola was spotted making a beeline for Kovacic upon the final whistle. The 52-year-old was said to have made a special effort to talk to the Croatia international, with City having now reportedly launched a bid to sign him.
Guardiola has a history of speaking to opposition players, whether it be his fiery words of wisdom for Nathan Redmond or comfy chat with James Maddison. It appears Guardiola is a fan of the Blues midfielder.
Man United will accelerate their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount after the FA Cup final
Manchester United will accelerate their swoop for Mason Mount following the FA Cup Final, with the Chelsea star now expected to leave for Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag has identified Mount as one of his priority transfer targets with United chiefs keen to complete early business this summer as they look to avoid the uncertainty of last year’s close-season window.
United face arch rivals Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday, where they will look to win their second domestic trophy of the season.
But the club will immediately turn their attentions to executing their summer recruitment plan - with a deal for Mount among the priorities.
The main hurdle to overcome will be agree a fee; United value Mount - who has just 12 months left on his contact - at around £55million while Chelsea price the England star at closer to £85million.
While there is a significant disparity between the clubs’ valuation, there is a willingness from both parties to negotiate.
Importantly, an agreement over personal terms for Mount is unlikely to be an issue with the England international known to be fully open to a move to Old Trafford.
Recently appointed Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino prefers Mount, who he’d admired during his time at Tottenham and subsequently Paris Saint-Germain, to stay an sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentine has been in England this week continuing his preparations for his first season in charge, but there is a growing doubt over whether Pochettino’s appointment can change the direction of travel for Mount’s future.
Indeed, certain figures at Chelsea believe Mount is destined to leave the club he joined as a six-year-old this summer, with Old Trafford viewed as his most likely destination.
In addition to Mount, United also want to sign a new centre forward - with Tottenham striker Harry Kane identified as Ten Hag’s preferred option in that position.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is determined to resist United’s advances for Kane because he does not want to sell his star player to a domestic rival.
United, however, intend to test Levy’s resolve to keep Kane this summer before exploring alternative options, that includes Napoli’s prolific striker Victor Osimhen.
Kane is open to joining United, but it remains to be see if he is willing to agitate for a move.
Like Mount, striker Kane has just 12 months on his contract leaving Spurs facing the prospect of losing him for nothing next year.
Nevertheless, early indications are that Levy will refuse to sell Kane to a Premier League side summer but United are not giving up hope of that stance softening.