Manchester City agree £25m deal to sign Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea

Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea for a fee of £25m plus £5m in add-ons.

Kovacic had been an important figure at Chelsea since joining from Real Madrid on a five-year deal in 2019, having initially arrived on loan. The Croatian is leaving having entered the final year of his contract and with Chelsea undergoing a squad overhaul after the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as manager.

Kovacic’s fellow midfielder N’Golo Kanté is also departing, with the French World Cup-winner joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad when his contract expires at the end of the month.

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Kovacic’s arrival at City will cast further doubt on the future of Ilkay Gündogan. The German’s contract expires shortly and he has been linked with a move to Arsenal. Such a move would be a major surprise given how important City’s captain was to their stunning success.