Report: Serie A giants eye raid on Chelsea for 27-year-old midfield star

Transfer News: Chelsea ace Mateo Kovacic wanted by Inter Milan

According to transfer news from the Daily Star, Serie A champions Inter Milan are lining up a summer swoop for Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic as they look to bolster their midfield.

Kovacic has been with Chelsea since the summer of 2018, having initially joined on loan from Real Madrid, before making the transfer permanent a year later. A mainstay in the middle of the park for the Blues, the 27-year-old has made 140 appearances, scoring two goals and set up seven more. (h/t Transfermarkt)

Kovacic featured 42 times across all competitions in the season gone by, although, he did miss some crucial games towards the end of the season due to injuries.

Heading into the summer, though, Kovacic has now emerged as a transfer target for Inter Milan. The Croatian international spent time with the Nerazzurri in the early stages of his career, having signed from Dinamo Zagreb in January 2013 before leaving for Real Madrid in the summer of 2015, during which he made 97 appearances.

Inter Milan are keen on strengthening their midfield unit this summer, especially after the scare suffered by Christian Eriksen while playing in the UEFA Euro 2020. To that end, they have a number of midfielders lined up as options, including AC Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu and Chelsea’s Kovacic. (h/t Daily Star)

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Kovacic is contracted with Chelsea till the summer of 2024. The report does add that there could be a possibility that the Croatian international returns to Inter Milan on a season-long loan deal, in case Thomas Tuchel decides to put his faith in youngster Billy Gilmour for the upcoming campaign.