Tottenham have reportedly placed Mateo Kovacic on their transfer shortlist this summer, making a €25m bid for the midfield ace.
The Croatian international is set to be crowded out at the Bernabeu, as having already struggled to establish himself as a regular for the Spanish and European champions, competition for places has increased this summer following the arrival of Dani Ceballos.
That leaves Kovacic, Ceballos, Casemiro, Marcos Llorente, Toni Kroos, Isco and Luka Modric all fighting for places, and it’s debatable as to where the former Inter star fits into that pecking order.
As reported by AS, Tottenham have made the first move by offering €25m for his services, but that has been turned down by Los Blancos. With AC Milan, Inter and Napoli also noted in the report as being keen on signing Kovacic, Spurs could face serious competition for his signature.
It’s claimed that Mauricio Pochettino wants to make the 23-year-old a cornerstone of his side in London though, and it’s easy to see why given his technical quality and the all-round game that he would add at Tottenham.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not they can prise him away from the Spanish capital, as having proven to be an important part of the rotation at Madrid, and with the report noting that Kovacic is keen to succeed with his current employers, it doesn’t sound like Tottenham should be too optimistic.
Nevertheless, there’s a long way to go in the transfer market and the report ends by suggesting that a good offer could yet persuade Madrid to sell. Signing Kovacic would be a major coup for Spurs as he would undoubtedly offer real quality in their midfield to compliment what they already have at Pochettino’s disposal.