Chelsea are planning a major summer revamp. This is more out of necessity than choice, though. The Blues simply must balance the books which means saying goodbye to more players than they bring in. Given Todd Boehly’s bad habit of overspending in the previous two transfer windows, the squad which Mauricio Pochettino will inherit is saturated, hence the constant player departure talks.
Although, one player who will almost certainly be departing Stamford Bridge this summer is Mateo Kovacic. According to Football Insider, the 29-year-old is “99% done” with his move from Chelsea to Manchester City, meaning he is likely to be confirmed by the Premier League champions some time soon.
For Chelsea, there is no denying that this is a big loss. Granted, he might not fit into the team anymore given the saturation of the squad, but Kovacic is an immensely talented player. If the Blues knew how to use him right, they wouldn’t be in the predicament of wanting to sell him.
Put it this way. Even given the size of Chelsea’s squad, Man City’s B-team (which Kovacic will likely be a part of, let’s face it), would hammer Chelsea’s strongest team. There are no two ways about it.
For Manchester City, this is a worthwhile investment. They are losing Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer this summer, and replacing him with a younger player who has experience of competing and winning at the top level. Given his immense box-to-box style, Kovacic will fill the Gundogan void in no time.
For Kovacic, signing for City is OBVIOUSLY a good thing. They are levels above Chelsea and will still be levels about Chelsea by the time Kovacic retires. It was not a mistake to sign at Stamford Bridge, but leaving is the right thing to do at this stage.
Do you think Kovacic will be a success at Manchester City?