In the hunt for midfield reinforcements, Manchester City turns to Mateo Kovačić. The Croat has now received permission from employer Chelsea to talk to the national champion.
Man City gets permission from Chelsea to talk to target
The interest in the 29-year-old midfielder was already known, but the London club was still before a transition. Now that the season in England has come to an end, policymakers have changed their mind, writes The Athletic.
This seems partly due to the fact that Kovačić’s contract at Stamford Bridge runs until the summer of 2024. If Chelsea want to earn some money from the Austrian-born midfielder, they must get rid of the international this summer.
In addition to Manchester City, Kovačić is also interested in Bayern Munich, but the former player of Real Madrid and Internazionale, among others, would prefer a switch to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Man Utd extends with player who has ‘surprised’ Ten Hag this season
Manchester United have extended Diogo Dalot’s contract. His contract in Manchester initially ran until the summer of 2024, but has now been extended for another four years. As a result, the defender is fixed until mid-2028.
Trainer Erik ten Hag indicated earlier this season that he was pleasantly surprised by Dalot. Initially, the Dutch coach had his doubts about the right back position at Manchester United, but in the preparation he became convinced of Dalot. Strengthening that position was therefore no longer a priority, but Dalot’s contract extension was.
In January, United opened talks with the Portugal international. Dalot has played in 26 Premier League matches this season, 24 of which as a starting player. Dalot’s versatility in particular suited Ten Hag well. He played regularly at left-back and right-back this season, usually being preferred to the likes of Tyrell Malacia.
Dalot himself is happy that he is still associated with Manchester United. “Playing for Manchester United is one of the highest honors you can get in football. We’ve shared some amazing moments over the past five years, and I’ve grown tremendously and my passion for this incredible club has only increased since the day I joined.”
United took over Dalot in 2018 for more than twenty million euros from FC Porto. In the meantime, he has been rented out to AC Milan for one season.
