Man Utd and Man City will be battling for the Premier League title again next season, and it appears as though they’ve set their sights on the same transfer target.
The two city rivals clashed for the league crown last year, but it was Pep Guardiola’s side who comfortably prevailed with a 19-point cushion.
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In turn, the emphasis will be on Jose Mourinho and his players to close the gap, and it appears as though the Portuguese tactician is hopeful that reinforcements this summer will help them do so.
According to The Daily Star, Real Madrid have told Man City that they want £80m for transfer target Mateo Kovacic this summer, despite the fact that the Croatian international has struggled to establish himself as a regular fixture in the starting line-up at the Bernabeu.
Further, The Sun add that the former Inter ace is also on United’s radar, as both sides are seemingly keen to bolster their midfield options having lost the likes of Yaya Toure and Michael Carrick this past summer.
The 24-year-old was limited to just 36 appearances last season, many of which though were off the bench as with fierce competition for places from the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, it seemingly will be difficult for him to climb the pecking order,
In turn, an exit could make sense if he were to land a more prominent role at either Man Utd or Man City, but it remains to be seen if either club are prepared to meet Real Madrid’s reported demands as that is a lot of money for a player who hasn’t been an influential part of their recent success.
In contrast, the exit of Zinedine Zidane could be a factor in staying in the Spanish capital, as much will depend on whether or not his successor, Julen Lopetegui, plans to give more responsibility to Kovacic moving forward.