According to Football Insider, Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is considering leaving the club following the return of Ilkay Gundogan. The former player is worried about his role and believes his game time could be reduced in the coming months.
Mateo Kovacic is worried about his game-time
Mateo Kovacic has represented the likes of Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Chelsea. He arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 2023. Since his joining, he has been an integral part of the squad, featuring regularly in the starting lineups.
Kovacic featured in 46 games last season, netting three goals and providing an assist. He averaged 1.2 tackles, 0.3 interceptions, and 0.3 clearances per game (stats via whoscored). However, Ilkay Gundogan’s return at Etihad Stadium has put his role under the radar.
The Croatian midfielder is technically sound and a versatile midfielder. He is press resistance and known for his distribution. He can contribute to both aspects of the game and provides a high work rate in the middle of the park.
Will Mateo Kovacic continue to be important?
Manchester City brought Mateo Kovacic after the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to fill his shoes. However, no one expected the latter to be back at Etihad Stadium just after one season.
As Gundogan is back, Kovacic is worried about his role in the side. He believes he would fall down in the pack, affecting his game time majorly. If that happens, he won’t hesitate to leave the Citizens as he wants to play regularly.
The 30-year-old has offers from Saudi, who are offering lucrative money. He wouldn’t mind joining them in the January window. However, it’s unlikely Pep Guardiola will allow him to leave midway and weaken his squad.
Most probably everyone will get a clearer picture by the end of this season. It remains to be seen how the Spanish manager will manage his players and whom will he prefer in the starting lineup.
