Premier League West Ham United have reportedly made an official move to sign Croatian Mateo Kovacic from La Liga giants Real Madrid.
Mateo Kovacic would be a starter in almost any midfield in world football.
Unfortunately for the Croatian, however, he plays for Real Madrid. And that means he is stuck behind Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro in the pecking order. In three years at the Bernabau, the former Inter Milan ace has managed a grand total of 37 La Liga starts.
So this is enough encouragement for West Ham United to hope that one of the most ambitious deals of the summer could actually happen.
Tuttomercatoweb report that the Hammers have made an official proposal for Kovacic, who has won the Champions League three times since moving to Spain and is one of the most impressive all-round midfielders in Europe.
And it is worth considering the comments of legendary manager Giovanni Trapattoni when imagining the prospect of Kovacic wearing claret and blue.
“If left free to invent up front and with space, Kovacic can be very dangerous,” Trapattoni, Inter Milan coach from 1986 to 1991, said. “He isn’t a director like [Andrea] Pirlo. Given Kovacic’s style of play and his technical characteristics he’s more of a mix of Kaka and Seedorf.
“Kovacic tends to dribble, has a lot of technique and great acceleration. He’s a class player and I think his skills should be exploited to the best.”
Should West Ham manage to tempt Real into selling Kovacic, this would have the feel of a real game-changer.
Football London reports that Kovacic is valued at £44 million by Real, which would make him comfortably the most expensive signing in West Ham’s history if he arrived.
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