Chelsea: Blues to open contract talks with Mateo Kovacic

Chelsea are set to hold talks with midfielder Mateo Kovacic over an extension on his current deal, according to a new update.
The Lowdown: Kovacic’s contract running down
The Croatian has been an excellent servant for the Blues, making 207 appearances overall and often bringing both quality on the ball and work-rate off it to the midfield.
Kovacic is out of contract at the end of next season, however, so this summer feels like a key moment in his Chelsea career, in terms needing to either cash in, extend his deal or risk losing him for free next year.
Now, a key update has emerged regarding the 28-year-old’s future at Stamford Bridge.
The Latest: New deal incoming?
According to Football Insider correspondent Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea are ready to hand Kovacic a new deal and will ‘open’ talks with him in the near future.
Nailing down his future is seen as a ‘priority’ by the club and same also applies to N’Golo Kante, with an extension thought to be on the cards for him, too.
The Verdict: Shrewd decision by Chelsea
Offering Kovacic a new deal is an absolute no-brainer for Chelsea, with the 91-cap Croatia international still such a key player when he is fit and firing.
His ball retention in the middle of the park is particularly impressive, with an 84.7% pass completion rate in the Premier League this season, but he has also averaged 1.2 tackles per game.
At 28, Kovacic is right in his peak years and should remain that way for the foreseeable future, and the thought of losing him this summer is a concerning one.
Thomas Tuchel hailed him as ‘outstanding’ last year, and assuming he does accept a new deal in west London, he could go on to become one of Chelsea’s best midfielders of the Premier League era.
