Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City: Chelsea midfielder completes move to Premier League champions in £30m deal |  Football news

The Croatian midfielder has spent the last five years at Stamford Bridge, having joined from Real Madrid in 2018; Kovacic has won four trophies with Chelsea, including beating Man City in the 2021 Champions League final; Kovacic joins for an initial deal of £25m plus £5m in add-ons

Mateo Kovacic has joined Manchester City from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The fee is believed to be worth an initially guaranteed £25m plus £5m in performance-related add-ons.

He will wear the number 8 shirt, recently vacated by Ilkay Gundogan, who joined Barcelona.

Kovacic has been at Stamford Bridge since joining from Real Madrid – initially on loan – in the summer of 2018.

The 29-year-old Croatia international won four major trophies during his time at Chelsea – including his fourth Champions League for Pep Guardiola’s side in 2021 – while making 221 appearances for the club.

Mateo Kovacic
Kovacic won four major trophies with Chelsea

Kovacic said: “It’s a brilliant move for me and I can’t wait to get started with City.

“Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are – for me they are the best in the world. The trophies they win are clear to all, but they are also the best football side.

“Joining this team is really a dream for every footballer. I still have a lot to learn and develop and I know that under Pep I can become a better player, which is really exciting for me.

“My plan now is to rest for a few weeks before returning to Manchester to prepare for the new season. I want to help this club stay at the top and win more trophies.”

Manchester City unveil their new signing Mateo Kovacic alongside  Txiki Begiristain
Kovacic put pen to paper at Man City alongside Ciki Begiristain

Man City director of football Chiki Begiristain said: “Mateo is an excellent player.

“He can play as a six or eight, he has a lot of experience at top-level clubs and he understands the Premier League. It was a very easy decision to bring him to City because he has the tactical and technical qualities we are looking for in a midfielder.

“He’s someone we’ve been watching for a very long time and we’ve always been impressed when we watch him.

“I’m glad he’s here. This is a great signing for this club and I’m very excited to see what he can do with Pep and the rest of our backroom team.”

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