Liverpool may have a summer interest in signing Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic amid claims they admire his quality.
That’s according to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, who has been speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast.
Bailey notes that Kovacic is a ‘really interesting’ case ahead of the summer transfer window.
It’s suggested that Kovacic is wanted by many clubs with Manchester City and Liverpool highlighted as two teams who ‘appreciate’ his quality.
Bailey added that Chelsea may not demand a huge fee for Kovacic and there is a real chance that he moves to another Premier League club.
“Kovacic for instance, he’s a really interesting one,” said Bailey. “I think we should keep an eye on him guys, he’s on the list of a lot of clubs where, if suddenly Chelsea put him on the market, I think they’ll just want his wages and won’t ask for a huge, huge fee. You could see Man City or Liverpool come in for him, they appreciate him, he’s a quality footballer, he knows the Premier League. Keep an eye on Kovacic, he could be somebody who moves across the top four just like Jorginho did,” he added.
Liverpool and City may both be in the market for a midfielder this summer.
The Reds really need to bolster their engine room whilst City may lose Ilkay Gundogan at the end of his contract.
The two teams are expected to do battle for Jude Bellingham this summer, but may well consider other options such as Kovacic.
Mateo Kovacic could be on the move this summer
Kovacic, 28, cost Chelsea £40million back in 2019 but he could leave for much less now.
The Croatian is out of contract in 2024 and is now inside the final 18 months of his Chelsea contract.
That means Chelsea may well be willing to sell Kovacic go for a knockdown price before he leaves for nothing.
Hailed as ‘incredible’ by West Ham United ace Declan Rice, Kovacic has real quality on the ball and has ball-carrying ability through midfield.
That’s maybe something a little different to what Liverpool have in their ranks at the moment, and he still has plenty in the tank as he doesn’t enter his 30’s until next May.
Kovacic isn’t much of a goalscorer though, scoring just four times in 133 games, so he would be more of a midfield controller for the Reds.
The Telegraph reported last week that Manchester City are interested in Kovacic, so Liverpool may find it a little tricky to win this race – but he is a name to keep tabs on this summer.
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