Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic may be moved on this summer as part of the Blues' rebuild under Mauricio Pochettino, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest transfer news involving Mateo Kovacic?
As per Football Insider, Chelsea will demand £30-£40 million for Kovacic this summer amid interest from Manchester City in signing the Croatia international.
The report states that Pep Guardiola is a 'huge fan' of the 29-year-old, who is entering the final year of his £100k-a-week contract at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea may look to cash in on his services to raise transfer funds.
Intriguingly, the same outlet also claim that Manchester United are monitoring his situation heading into the off-season as Erik Ten Hag eyes midfield reinforcements.
Bayern Munich are also looking into potentially adding Kovacic to their ranks, with Chelsea having 'accepted that they are likely to lose' the playmaker in the not too distant future, as per The Guardian.
Blues' co-owner Todd Boehly is believed to be keen to sell players that enter the final 12 months of their contract in west London, which is something that could put Kovacic's Chelsea future in serious doubt.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks Kovacic's importance at Chelsea has declined since former boss Graham Potter was relieved of his duties back in April.
Jacobs told FFC: "Mateo Kovacic is another one that could go, Manchester City amongst others, are admirers and again, under Graham Potter, he was playing and Potter particularly wanted to try and keep him. Now Potter's gone, the situation has moved in a different direction and Kovacic hasn't extended and that one is a little bit uncertain as a consequence as well."
Should Chelsea look to sell Mateo Kovacic in the summer transfer window?
Chelsea are going to need to refresh their squad this summer and reduce how bloated it has become, meaning that someone like Kovacic may be an easy candidate to recoup a sizable fee for to then reinvest in prospective transfer targets.
In 2022/23, the Croatian managed to make 37 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, registering two goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored also notes that Kovacic has been safe pair of hands in possession this term for club and country and maintained a pass accuracy of 88%.
Kovacic has also successfully manufactured 83 shot-creating actions this season, as per FBRef, illustrating his inventive nature from the heart of the midfield.
Nevertheless, it looks as if his time may be up at Chelsea and there is no surprise that multiple sides are looking to offer him a new challenge away from west London.