Real Madrid are reportedly hopeful that offering Mateo Kovacic on loan to Chelsea will help their bid to finally land Thibaut Courtois.
As noted by ESPN, the Belgian international has been touted as a £35m target for Real Madrid ahead of the transfer deadline, with his exit potentially a huge blow for Maurizio Sarri unless he can acquire a quality replacement.
SEE MORE: Photo: Real Madrid drop big hint that influential figure isn’t going anywhere
Speculation has been ongoing for months over the 26-year-old’s future, albeit with question marks over why Los Blancos are so keen to strengthen between the posts given Keylor Navas continues to play a key role in their recent success.
However, as per the report above, Courtois remains a top transfer target this summer and according to Sky Sports, the Spanish giants are now potentially set to use midfield ace Mateo Kovacic as a sweetener with the Croatian international tipped to join Chelsea on loan to help push through a deal.
That move would seemingly make sense for all parties concerned, as Madrid wouldn’t lose a key long-term figure permanently, while Kovacic would perhaps have a better chance of regular minutes at Stamford Bridge having struggled to establish himself in the Real Madrid line-up.
As for Chelsea, with Maurizio Sarri looking to implement a move expansive brand of football based on possession and high tempo, Kovacic’s technical quality and passing ability arguably makes him perfect for the Italian tactician’s philosophy.
In turn, if a deal can be made then it could benefit both clubs to see the two players switch over, although that doesn’t solve Chelsea’s bigger issue of replacing Courtois.
Given he has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe in recent years, it’s imperative that the Blues find a capable successor to fill the void before they allow him to leave as time is running out before the deadline.