Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is now ‘considering his next move’ away from the Premier League club, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The Lowdown: Benfica’s swap deal request
The Guardian state that the 28-year-old is one of several players that Graham Potter could be looking to get rid of this summer as he continues his major squad revamp.
The Croatian international has entered the final 18 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and it was claimed that he was set to hold talks regarding an extension upon his return from the World Cup, though an agreement is yet to have been reached.
The Blues midfielder was reportedly requested by Benfica’s president Rui Costa in a swap deal for Enzo Fernandez, but his £5.4m yearly salary proved to be beyond their affordable budget.
The Latest: Phillips’ comments
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips revealed that Kovacic is now looking more likely to leave Chelsea rather than committing his long-term future to the club.
“I’ve been hearing and I’ve been reporting for months now that Kovacic has been considering his next move. With his contract running down, I don’t expect that to change.”
The Verdict: Let him go
Kovacic has been hailed an ‘unbelievable’ player by West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, but for all of his achievements, making the decision to cash in at the end of the season would be the right one.
The Nike-sponsored star has only made seven top-flight starts this term, highlighting that he’s out of favour under Potter, and lacks the required level of end product, having scored just five goals in 206 appearances in the capital.
The Linz native is also currently averaging a disappointing 0.8 interceptions and 0.7 key passes per league game which goes to show that he doesn’t make the necessary impact in midfield when given game time (WhoScored).
Chelsea will still be able to demand a sizeable fee for Kovacic given the five titles he’s won during his time in SW6, so it’ll be more beneficial allowing him to leave then use his sum to further reinvest into the team.