Aston Villa decide to join the race to sign former Real Madrid and Inter Milan star in the current FIFA World Cup.
Aston Villa transfer business has yet to begin with securing targets. They have another name on their shortlist, which could be easy to lure out of his current team. The former Real Madrid and Inter Milan star, Mateo Kovacic, is recently on Villa’s radar for their summer transfer.
According to the report in Sportboom, The Lions are not the only one which is keen on his service next season.
“Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are both weighing up moves for Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovačić, with the source understanding the Premier League champions are prepared to cash in on the Croatian if the right offer arrives this summer.”
Kovacic is entering the final year of his contract, which means he could be affordable. His current side might be open to sell him or release him on loan too, if permanent sale might be challenging. His potential price tag could be only around £17.25 million.
The Croatian international is also already 32 years old and his role and regular minutes decreased significantly last season. He spent mostly on the sideline in the last campaign due to his achilles tendon surgery and ankle injury. Consequently, he was fielded only nine times and contributed one assist only as well.
The competition in the second line at The Citizens was fierce too and he lost his place to Dutch international, Tijjani Reijnders. Should he stay, he might not get a guaranteed place in the starting line-up following the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Swapping to the Tricky Trees is one option although they would not compete in Europe next season.
On the other hand, Aston Villa still provide him a chance to compete at the top level. They qualify to Champions League next season and regularly finish in the top six in the standings. Switching sides to Villa Park is better choice than to City Ground.
He is probably not young anymore but certainly a great addition to the squad. Villa would most likely without Ross Barkley and Douglas Luiz next season. Kovacic is the perfect replacement for them. He could be deployed as number 10, defensive midfielder or box-to-box midfielder.
His experience could help Unai Emery’s team during critical times too. The former Real Madrid man is a proven winner. His stints at the elite sides beside Los Blancos such as Inter Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City would bring winning mentality under pressure.
The midfielder with 116 international caps has won all major titles at the club level. He won league titles with Real Madrid and Manchester City, Champions League with Los Merengues and Chelsea, Europa League with Chelsea, FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid. He was also part of Croatia’s squad when they became World Cup finalist in 2018 and finished third in 2022.
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