Chelsea may be heading for a setback with Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who is said to be considering his future at the club.
What’s the word?
That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who understands that the World Cup star is now exploring other options after failing to agree a new deal before heading to Qatar.
As it stands, the club are at risk of losing the 28-year-old for free at the end of next season, with his existing deal set to expire in the summer of 2024.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips said: “Chelsea wanted to get him signed before the World Cup, but that didn’t happen. At the moment, Kovacic and his people are exploring other options. They’re not 100% sure if they want to extend with Chelsea.”
A big loss
With an average of 57.2 accurate passes per 90, Kovacic is Chelsea’s most active midfield asset for this metric and brings a different dimension to the Chelsea midfield with his average of 2.6 accurate long balls per game a small snippet of his unique skillset.
Besides this, his well-roundedness makes him a weapon in the out-of-possession phase.
The World Cup star’s ability to win the ball back in the midfield third, having achieved this at an average of four times a game this season, gives Chelsea the means to rely on their rest defence and spring into a counterattack.
The midfielder’s game across both phases means he can be instrumental for the side at times, so the Blues will not want to be without his services.
