Graham Potter keen to keep Mateo Kovacic at Chelsea after standout displays

Graham Potter is hopeful an agreement can be reached for Mateo Kovacic to stay at Chelsea beyond the expiration of his contract next summer.

The Croatian has captained Potter’s side in recent weeks following an injury to Thiago Silva and the sale of Jorginho to Arsenal in January, and his spell as skipper has coincided with an uptick in form for the Blues.

Reports have linked Kovacic, who has become a key operator alongside Enzo Fernandez in Potter’s midfield, with Bayern Munich and a reunion with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed last week.

Bayern have already made an approach for assistant coach Anthony Barry to join Tuchel at the Bundesliga champions, with Potter saying the club are unlikely to stand in the 36-year-old’s way if he opts to move.

Any deal for Barry is likely to be delayed by the prospect of the teams meeting in the semi-final of the Champions League in May. Potter hinted that a period of gardening leave may be enforced once the clubs have reached agreement over compensation.

Yet Kovacic – who returned invigorated from helping Croatia to finish third at the World Cup in Qatar after a difficult first half of the season at Stamford Bridge – is a different story, with Potter keen for contract matters to be sorted out with the player.

The perfect Saturday! pic.twitter.com/LFp1Yd17Ck

— Mateo Kovacic (@mateokovacic8) March 11, 2023

The manager was full of praise for the impact the stand-in captain has had in a leadership role.

“The club has conversations (about contracts) with players all the time,” said Potter. “It doesn’t mean it’s public. These things happen behind the scenes, and when we’ve got something to report we can report it.

“He (Kovacic) is someone I have huge respect for as a