Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Croatian international midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
The 29-year-old has joined the Cityzens on a four-year deal at the Etihad Stadium and will wear the number eight shirt vacated by Ilkay Gundogan who officially announced he had left the club on Monday.
Welcome, Mateo! 🩵 pic.twitter.com/qlGd4DtqwI
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 27, 2023
Mateo Kovacic swaps Stamford Bridge for the Etihad Stadium
Kovacic toiled last season in a difficult first season under the ownership of Todd Boehly but has continued to impress at international level when alongside Luka Modric for Croatia with the Checkered Ones only a penalty shootout away from winning this year’s UEFA Nations League.
The former Inter Milan and Real Madrid man is seen as an ideal replacement for the outgoing Gundogan, being able to play on the left side of a central midfield three or as a number six just in front of either a back three or a back four.
Kovacic spoke of his excitement about joining last season’s treble winners, saying, “This is a brilliant move for me. Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are – for me, they are the best in the world”.
The Croatian leaves Stamford Bridge for a fee of around $31.8m with an additional $6.2m expected in add-ons depending on the number of trophies Kovacic wins at the Etihad Stadium.
