Real Madrid could reportedly face a late transfer headache with Mateo Kovacic said to be refusing to return to training ahead of the new season.
The 24-year-old joined the Spanish giants in 2015 from Inter, and although he’s made 109 appearances in his three seasons with the club and has won an impressive collection of trophies, he has continued to struggle to secure a permanent place in the starting line-up.
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Given he’s fighting the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro for playing time, it’s no real surprise, and with that trio potentially continuing at the Bernabeu in the upcoming campaign, it raises question marks over whether or not Kovacic will get a prominent role any time soon.
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, it’s been claimed by reports in Spain that the Croatian international could be looking to force an exit as he’s refusing to report for training with Real Madrid.
Further, the report adds that AC Milan could be ready to swoop if they fail in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot, and so perhaps a return to Italy could be ideal solution for Kovacic, albeit Madrid may be keen to hold on to him given he has his entire future ahead of him still and could grow in importance.
Having previously dazzled during his spell with Inter, coupled with the fact that Gennaro Gattuso is certainly lacking creative class and quality in midfield at the San Siro currently, Kovacic may well be considered an ideal option.
The Italian tactician is likely to rely heavily on the likes of Giacomo Bonaventura, Lucas Biglia and Franck Kessie again this season, and given that they’re looking to compete on various fronts and will hope to build on the signings of Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara last week, Kovacic could very well fit the bill in terms of adding real quality talent to the squad.