Why Chelsea should not sign Mateo Kovacic permanently
According to an earlier report from London Evening Standard, Chelsea have begun discussions with Real Madrid over signing Mateo Kovacic permanently at the end of the season.
The same report claims that the Los Blancos, who bought Kovacic for £26.7 million from Inter Milan will not let the Croatian international depart for a measly amount.
Chelsea are reportedly very happy with what they have seen of Kovacic, with the 24-year-old establishing himself as one of the mainstays of the midfield under manager Maurizio Sarri. Kovacic has started on 16 occasions for the Blues in the Premier League this season, accumulating a couple of assists from 23 appearances.
Kovacic was signed at the start of the season to add stability and substance to the midfield. Sarri has shifted N’Golo Kante to an unfamiliar position on the right of his midfield three, with the former Napoli boss preferring Jorginho to play the anchor role at the heart of a 4-3-3 formation. Sarri’s reluctance to change things around has left the likes of Kovacic, Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek vying for a single spot on the left-hand side.
While Kovacic has proved that he is absolutely tailor-made for Maurizio Sarri’s possession-based patient build-up, something that he has lacked is the end product. He wasn’t brought in as a defensive midfielder but he was expected to be more of a box-to-box kind of player who would keep things tight in the midfield, whilst also contributing to the attack with his creativity and vision.
Well, the move to Stamford Bridge has allowed Kovacic to get regular minutes under his belt which might not have been possible at Madrid. However, Chelsea should take note of the fact that they haven’t got the maximum returns from the loan deal.
As calm and composed as Kovacic has looked in possession, the Croatian has failed to make much of an impact in the final third. Undoubtedly, he has shown his energy and work rate but Chelsea need a more offensive-minded midfielder with a bit more quality on the ball. As a matter of fact, Ross Barkley and Loftus-Cheek, both of whom have been used as understudies to the Croatian, have contributed with better end product.
Barkley has accumulated 5 goals and 4 assists while Loftus-Cheek has scored as many as 6 goals in all competitions. On the contrary, Kovacic is yet to open his account for the season.
Chelsea are in need of midfielders who can hold on to the ball, dictate the tempo and link-up with the attackers up front. The Croatian ticks all the boxes in terms of technical abilities and physicality but the Blues should not hesitate to look at other options in the summer transfer window to find an upgrade on him.
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A more offensive-minded midfielder who can work the half-spaces between the opposition’s full-backs and centre-backs and also make incisive runs into the box would certainly fit the bill better. That said, Chelsea should not make the mistake of splashing a huge amount of cash to make the Croatian’s stay permanent at the end of the campaign.
