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What's the story?
Real Madrid midfielder, Mateo Kovacic, has joined Chelsea on a season-long loan as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois moves in the other direction as was confirmed by Chelsea's official website and Twitter account just hours ago.
The Blues' capture of Kovacic is sure to disgruntle Manchester United who was rejected by the Croatian midfielder due to the style of play used by Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.
In case you didn't know...
Kovacic has enjoyed a wonderful summer with his nation, helping his Croatia reach the World Cup final and performing wonderfully alongside Luka Modric in midfield. His performances led to speculation of a move away from the Bernebeau persisting throughout the summer with Manchester United making the initial move for his services.
However, the €60 million-rated star turned down an opportunity to link up with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford stating that he didn't like the Portuguese manager's style of play and opted to wait for another option. That option has come in the form of Chelsea who has been searching for a midfielder over the past few weeks and included the loan signing of Kovacic as part of the Courtois move to Madrid.
The heart of the matter
Chelsea can consider the signing of Kovacic as extremely good business so late in the transfer window. While losing their first choice goalkeeper as part of the deal, the Blues have already lined up a replacement for Courtois and found a player they were in desperate need of in the process.
The Croatian midfielder is a highly rated player and comes to Stamford Bridge as an alternative to Jack Wilkshire who Sarri was also reportedly interested in signing.
Rumour Rating: 10/10
The deal is done and has been announced by both clubs via official channels. The only potential hiccup is that Chelsea still requires Kovacic to complete a medical and agree on personal terms with the World Cup star. However, this is simply a formality and we should see the 24-year-old lining up for the Blues in midfield this season.
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What's Next?
Once the medical is completed and personal terms have been agreed upon, Chelsea can officially unveil Kovacic as their latest signing.
However, there are no reports of an option to buy the Croatian after the season-long loan has expired and therefore it is likely the midfielder will head back to Madrid next summer unless Chelsea make a stunning bid for his permanent signature in the meantime.
