Chelsea are close to completing the loan signing of Croatia international and former Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.
Kovacic has made 109 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos since joining the club in a €35 million deal from the Nerazzurri in 2015, but is very keen to leave in search of game time and reportedly missed training on Monday in an attempt to force through a last-minute move to the Premier League.
Reports from the Madrid-based publication on Tuesday suggest that talks between Chelsea and Madrid are in an advanced phase and could be finalised soon, which would provide new boss Maurizio Sarri with the midfield reinforcement he has been calling for since arriving in London.
The news will also be of great interest to Inter, however, as it could have repercussions on their pursuit of Kovacic’s team-mate Luka Modric. It is currently unclear whether Madrid would be willing to part company with both players, so a deal to sell Kovacic on loan could scupper the Nerazzurri’s dreams of bringing the 32 year-old to Milan.