Reports: Chelsea to sign Real Madrid star on loan

What’s the rumour?

Chelsea are on step away from signing Mateo Kovacic on loan from Real Madrid according to a report by Marca. The two clubs are close to agreeing a deal for him according to the report.

The Croatian refused to train with Los Blancos unless his future was sorted. The midfielder was desperate for a move away as he was not getting enough game time at Real Madrid.

In case you didn’t know...

Kovacic joined Real Madrid in 2015 for an undisclosed fee from Inter Milan. He has been a benchwarmer for most his career at Bernabeu and was rarely used by Zidane.

The heart of the matter

Kovacic made it clear to the public and to the club that he had no plans of staying and that he wanted to leave. Manchester City were linked with him earlier this summer with Bayern Munich and Juventus also said to be interested.

Inter Milan were also looking to sign him back but were priced out of the move. Now with no club ready to match Madrid's valuation of the player, he is set to be loaned out.

Chelsea already have a lot of midfielders in their rank but Sarri is said to be keen on signing one more player. N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Ross Barkley are expected to be the regular starters this season with Kovacic (if signed), Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko being the substitutes.

Rumour probability: 7/10

Marca are very reliable when it comes to Real Madrid rumours. The Spanish publication are one of the first to break news related to the club and might be spot on once again.

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What’s next?

Kovacic will discuss personal terms with Chelsea before heading to London for his medical. The Croat would want assurance over his game time before he opts for the move.