What’s the story
According to the London Evening Standard, Real Madrid are willing to sell Mateo Kovacic. Tottenham Hotspur, who had been linked to the Croatian international, have been alerted of the 23-year-old’s availability. Real Madrid are desperate for funds as they pursue Kylian Mbappe of AS Monaco.
In case you didn’t know...
Mateo Kovacic, who plays as a central midfielder, has often been employed by Zinedine Zidane in a deep-lying role in the Real Madrid midfield. The youngster had started only 19 games for Real Madrid in the 2016-17 campaign and played the full 90 minutes in only 9 of them.
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The heart of the matter
Kovacic is a creative playmaker and is a strong presence in the centre of the midfield with a wide array of skills at his disposal. The youngster is an excellent passer of the ball. In the 2016-17 season, the Croatian had a passing accuracy of 91% and 63% of these were forward passes. He created 17 chances and had 3 assists to his name.
Given that he is in his developing years, Kovacic will be desperately craving for more game time and a move to Pochettino's side might just give him the push he needs to be a world class midfielder. With the impending arrival of Ceballos at the Santiago Bernabeu, Kovacic could fall further down the pecking order.
Also read: 5 players Real Madrid need to sign this summer
Tottenham Hotspur have a rigid wage structure and this is one issue that could prove to be a stumbling block. Kovacic earns £60,000 per week and that is more than Spurs can offer him at the moment. With Real Madrid reportedly offering the youngster to clubs across Europe, Spurs could face stiff competition in signing Kovacic.
Real Madrid have been pursuing Kylian Mbappe all summer. The AS Monaco forward has a price tag of £132 million to his name. On top of that, Real Madrid face still competition in trying to sign the 18-year-old French youngster who picked up 15 goals and 8 assists for the French club in the 2016-17 season.
After Manchester United dropped out of the race to sign Alvaro Morata for £75m, Real Madrid are looking in all directions to fund a move for Mbappe.
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Author’s take
Kovacic will be a worthy addition to Mauricio Pochettino’s side who will be trying to make a mark in Europe this term. Combined with the firepower of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Kovacic will enhance the depth of the Spurs attack. But in a club where Dele Alli earns £50,000 per week, Spurs will find it difficult to meet the Croatian’s wage demands.
