Manchester City open concrete talks to sign Chelsea midfielder this summer

Premier League champions Manchester City have started work on signing Chelsea and Croatia international midfielder Mateo Kovacic this summer, according to reports.

Etihad Stadium officials have been forced into redirecting their summer transfer strategy to some extent in recent weeks, after their number one midfield target Jude Bellingham opted to intensify and finalise negotiations with Real Madrid.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder had long been admired by Manchester City, and particularly head coach Pep Guardiola, however it now looks as though chiefs from the Santiago Bernabeu will pip the Premier League giants to his signature.

As such, City have looked elsewhere for alternative options, referring to their transfer targets list that has featured a number of players closer to home, including the profile of Chelsea’s 29 year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

That is according to the information of transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who reports on Wednesday that Manchester City have now opened ‘concrete talks’ to sign Mateo Kovacic during the upcoming summer transfer window.

It is further explained that ‘positive’ discussions have now taken place between Manchester City and the player’s camp over the course of the last few days over the subject of personal terms.

From the side of Chelsea, it is stated that Stamford Bridge officials are open to selling Kovacic as part of a ‘midfield revolution’.

Additional reporting, as per The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg, states that the expectation is for Kovacic to complete a switch to Manchester City during the coming summer window.

Previous reports have claimed that Manchester City may be required to pay a fee in excess of £40 million to sign Kovacic, despite the player on the verge of entering his final year of contract at Chelsea.

At presents, negotiations over transfer fees remain unknown, as just how much City value the Croatia international at remains to be seen, but more details could emerge in the coming days and weeks.

As is the case in most summer transfer windows, it is understood that Manchester City have an intention to complete the large majority of their business as soon as possible, allowing for any new arrivals to embed themselves into the first-team set-up during the pre-season period.

For now, the focus within the squad will very much be on the pitch, as City embark on a two-week period that sees them face an FA Cup final against Manchester United, and a UEFA Champions League final showdown with Inter in Istanbul.