Chelsea are still keen on signing Mateo Kovacic on a permanent basis, according to a report in Goal.
The Croatian midfielder joined on loan from Real Madrid last summer, having fallen out of favour at the then European champions.
Kovacic has struggled to impress consistently at Stamford Bridge, however, with some accusing his game of lacking substance.
Despite that, the Blues are looking at retaining his services on a permanent basis this summer.
Madrid are thought to have tried to add Kovacic to the deal taking Maurizio Sarri to Juventus, but Chelsea have put a stop to it.
They want to “do the deal separately”, knowing that their transfer ban doesn’t affect any move for Kovacic.
There may be split opinion surrounding the 25-year-old’s future, but signing him could feel like something of a bonus, considering the ban inflicted on the west Londoners.
Kovacic made 51 appearances for Chelsea in 2018/19, but failed to score a single goal.
