Mateo Kovacic had started his career with Zagreb and has impressed at every level of the game. Making his way from the Los Blancos to Chelsea and now to Pep’s Etihad, his graph speaks volumes. Having acquired Spanish and European fame and made his mark at Florentino’s side, he appears set to conquer the English football.
The 29-year-old has won major trophies at every club he has played for except Inter Milan, where he only spent two seasons. Foreshadowed by the likes of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric at Madrid, Kovacic was still sufficient in playing his role at three UEFA Champions League triumphs and also won one La Liga title in 2016/17.
His move to Chelsea has also been largely successful. He won the Europa League with the London club in the 18/19 season, where he played 78 minutes against Chelsea’s fiercest rival, Arsenal. Two years later, he went onto lift the Champions League trophy against his latest club, Manchester City.
Mateo Kovacic to Man City Contract Details
Manchester City announced the signing of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea yesterday for a reported £25 million initial fee, which plummets, thanks to performance-related add-ons. The move was announced a day after Ilkay Gundogan’s move to Barcelona was confirmed. This makes the Croatian a direct replacement for the 32-year-old German maestro.
City has tied Kovacic down to a four-year deal. Given how much he can win under Pep Guardiola and fulfilling, this shall be his golden hoard. Furthermore, Pep continues his tradition of strengthening his squad with the best midfield players.
Mateo Kovacic’s Achievements with Chelsea
Chelsea have been clearing out their squad over the past few weeks, and Kovacic became the latest player to leave the club. Lately, Edouard Mendy, N’golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech, and Kai Havertz have moved on. Additionally, players like Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Christian Pulisic are mooted to be sold or released soon.
Kovacic’s time at Chelsea wasn’t entirely rosy, although the Croatian was a big part of the Champions League-winning team in 2021. The Blues voted him Player of the Year in 2020 for his wonderful contribution under Frank Lampard to help the club to an impressive top-four finish despite Chelsea being hit with a transfer embargo.
How would you rate Mateo Kovacic’s stint at Chelsea? And do you think he should have been given more time to improve his game under new manager Mauricio Pochettino?
