Handing over an initial £25m for a four-time Champions League winner seems a steal. Mateo Kovacic is set to become Manchester City’s first signing of the summer for that sum and will probably be their best value-for-money midfield acquisition since Ilkay Gundogan’s 2016 £20m switch from Borussia Dortmund.
The club captain is one of a handful potentially leaving the Etihad this summer. Bernardo Silva could also bow out while Aymeric Laporte’s final-day tears indicate his future lies elsewhere next season.
Whether Gundogan and Bernardo end up leaving or not, Pep Guardiola is not waiting around to rely on their commitment. Kovacic offers a new dynamic to his midfield options, being both a bulldog and a passing maestro. ALSO READ: Man City agree fee with Chelsea to sign midfielder Mateo Kovacic At 29, he brings experience and brawn that will only aid the likes of Rodri and Kalvin Phillips, even if he is not in every starting XI.
It’s an interesting signing from Guardiola, who has flipped his defensive mindset to big and bulky. It’s a department he will be keen to bolster if Laporte is to exit.