Patrick Rees
Manchester United have shown an interest in signing Real Madrid’s 23-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic, as per the reports from the Spanish news outlet OK Diario.
There is no denying the fact that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been on a lookout to bring in a sustainable playmaking reinforcement given the fact that Michael Carrick, who signed a one-year extension with the club recently, isn’t getting any younger and Marouane Fellaini failing to impress the spectators. Hence, the chase of Kovacic surely makes sense.
The 23-year-old Croatian, however, isn’t the only player from Galacticos who is being monitored by the Devils, as the likes of Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez are also on United’s radar, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s speculation remains an untold story.
Alvaro Morata has been long touted as the firm favourite of Jose Mourinho and with the team falling short in their attacking unit, having released Ibrahimovic recently, Morata will do a world of good for the team. James Rodriguez, on the other hand, has been tracked by a number of clubs and it remains to be seen where the Colombian ends up at.
Coming back to Kovacic, Transfermarkt rates the Croatian at £21.25m and this, in the current footballing market is a peanut capital for a club of the stature of Manchester United. Furthermore, it has also been quoted that Sir Alex Ferguson himself tried signing Kovacic when he was 17, but somehow failed to reach an agreement.
But as always, United won’t find it easy to land the 23-year-old at Old Trafford as the aforementioned source has also added that Unai Emery’s Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in acquiring his signature. What gives the Parisiens an upper hand in the negotiation is the fact that their midfielder Marco Verratti might well depart this summer, with Barcelona looking as a possible destination.
Given his immense work-rate and ability to play anywhere across the central midfield, Kovacic will not only add a sustainable depth, but he will also bring a new dimension to the Old Trafford. Should he be deployed as a defensive midfielder, Ander Herrera will be allowed an extra inch of space, which, indirectly, will improve Pogba’s role in the attack.
All in all, it is quite fair to say that he will be an interesting buy for Jose Mourinho.
