Chelsea have announced the signing of Mateo Kovačić from Real Madrid today, turning his loan from last season into a more permanent arrangement. The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year deal, tying him to the Blues until 2024.
Despite the transfer ban, Chelsea were apparently allowed to complete this deal since the midfielder’s registration was already held by the club thanks to the loan — it was due to revert back to Madrid on June 30, so Chelsea wrapped up the negotiations just in the nick of time!
Comunicado Oficial: Kovacic.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F.⚽ (@realmadrid) July 1, 2019
The deal is rumored to have been struck at a value of up to €50m, depending on unspecified bonuses. Earlier reports were guessing at a price more around €35m. The base price is probably somewhere close to £40m. It’s not cheap either way, but reasonable enough in today’s market and transfer ban conditions.
Kovacic fee just over £40million
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) June 27, 2019
Kovačić made 51 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last season, featuring in all three midfield positions under Sarri and collecting more than half as many minutes in one season than he did during the entirety of his three-year stay in Madrid. He may not have contributed directly to the scoresheet, but few are better at dealing with opposition pressure and that quality is becoming more and more important in the modern game.
.@Mateo_Kova23 is here to stay!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 1, 2019
Welcome back, Mateo! Let’s keep on winning things!