Kovacic joins City from Chelsea
Published
After the departure of Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City has added to its midfield with the signing of Croatia international Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
The deal is believed to be worth £25 million plus add-ons.
“This is a brilliant move for me, and I cannot wait to get started with City,” Kovacic said in a statement. “Anyone who has watched this team under [manager] Pep [Guardiola] knows how good they are – for me, they are the best in the world. The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there. To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer."
Kovacic, 29, spent the past five seasons at Stamford Bridge after initially joining on loan from Real Madrid prior to a permanent move the following year. He made 142 league appearances for the Blues and a Europa League and Champions League titles in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
A native of Linz, Austria, Kovacic came up in the Dinamo Zagreb system, making his senior debut in 2010. He left for Inter in 2012 and then joined Real after three seasons at the San Siro in 2015.
Internationally, Kovacic has been capped 95 times by Croatia and has appeared at the past three World Cups.
Kovacic shores up a midfield that lost Gundogan last week after the Germany international joined Barcelona on a free transfer.