The World Cup is the perfect stage for unknown players to emerge into the limelight and attract a new club. It is also a good place for players that are seemingly forgotten by their clubs to provide a timely reminder that they are still around. Take Mateo Kovacic for instance, who has had three relatively frustrating seasons at Real Madrid, where he has not featured nearly as much as he would have hoped to.
Limited game-time for Kovacic at Real Madrid
The Croatian midfielder joined Real Madrid in 2015 after impressing at Inter Milan but with a long list of superstars on the books at Los Blancos, his game time has been limited. However, that has certainly not prevented him from doing well in the World Cup with Croatia, despite only starting one match and featuring as a substitute in three of their games.
Croatia and Kovacic doing well in Russia
His team were far down in the bookie’s list of favourites to win the tournament but against the odds, they have made it to the semi-finals, where they will meet England tomorrow evening. Kovacic has been a real force in the Croatia midfield has seemingly caught the attention of the Manchester rivals United and City. Manchester City have apparently been keeping tabs on him, aware that he is unhappy with the amount of games he is getting with the Champions League champions.
Manchester United are also showing interest, with the two clubs potentially entering a bidding war. They are not the only clubs expected to make enquiries about Mateo Kovacic’s availability, with Premier League teams Tottenham and Chelsea also rumoured to be keen on the player, as well as other top European clubs.
Negotiations likely to start after the World Cup finishes
Negotiations will not take place until after the World Cup but Kovacic stated his intentions regarding wanting to move clubs before the tournament began, ensuring that any interested clubs could use the games to see him play. So Kovacic could well be playing in Manchester next season but the question is – will it be in red or blue?
