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What's the story?
La Liga giants Real Madrid have named their price for Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic. As reported in various sections of European media, the fee is said to be worth €50 million for the player.
In case you didn't know...
Mateo Kovacic was on loan at Chelsea for the 2018-19 season. The 25-year-old made 32 appearances for the club in the Premier League, where he provided just two assists.
Although Kovacic was expected to be a part of any deal involving Eden Hazard's move to Real Madrid, these rumors were squashed once Real Madrid announced Hazard's signing a few days ago.
The heart of the matter
Chelsea have submitted their appeal for the transfer ban, that had been imposed on them, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. If the ban is lifted, Chelsea will be able to sign players.
Kovacic is one player linked with a move to the club following the Croatian's decent spell at the club. Although Kovacic was expected to perform better, the 25-year-old is still a classy player to have in the squad.
However, Real Madrid have now put a €50 million price-tag on the player which illustrates their intentions of selling the player.
Real Madrid have already completed the signing of a couple of big name players including Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Eder Militao. A number of players are also set to leave the club in the summer which could help free up some funds for investment.
What's next?
A Europa League success and a third-place finish in the Premier League have made it a fairly successful campaign for the London-based club.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are actively boosting their squad after a subpar season in La Liga and Champions League.
