It is no secret that Atletico Madrid are chasing the signing of a new defensive midfielder, and the club hopes to end their search during the summer. Diego Simeone currently has Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Koke Resurreccion and Conor Gallagher as first team options – and also Thomas Lemar, although he is not counted on, with the idea being for him to be sold at the end of the season.
In recent months, Atleti have been linked to many players in the pivot position, with one of the latest having been Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi. It now appears that another one of their targets is in the Premier League, that being Manchester City and Croatia star Mateo Kovacic.
As per CaughtOffside, Man City are open to selling Kovacic in the summer following the winter arrival of ex-Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who joined earlier this month from FC Porto in a deal worth €60m. The 30-year-old has been a regular this season, although that has partly been because Rodri Hernandez has been sidelined since September with an ACL injury, and club officials clearly now see him as expendable.
According to the report, Man City have set an asking price of €30m for Kovacic, who played for Real Madrid between 2015 and 2018. While this figure is seen as relatively affordable, Atleti are expected to aim to reduce this if they make a move during the summer.
It has been a difficult season for Kovacic, although he was excellent during the 2023-24 campaign with Man City. Atletico Madrid are bound to fully aware of the quality that he possesses, and at €30m, he could be a very good piece of business. It remains to be seen whether he is targeted during the summer, or if slightly more affordable options are looked at by the club’s sporting department.
