Manchester United are preparing a move for Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic in January. Some reports are claiming that the Red Devils are planning a move for the Los Blancos outcast next month but could face strong competition from rivals, Manchester City. Kovacic is known for his incredible talents as a midfielder but has seen his opportunities for the European champions limited this season. He has just featured in 9 matches for Zinedine Zidane’s men so far and is yet to make a start for Real Madrid in this campaign.
Kovacic has found himself going down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with world-class talents such as Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos being preferred ahead of him to start for the Los Blancos.
It is also believed that the Croatian international has a €50m release clause inserted in his contract with the Spanish Giants, which is quite reasonable in the current market. He can definitely plug a hole at the centre of the park and form a formidable partnership with Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba in the United midfield.
However, the Croatian midfielder will be cup-tied for European matches this season as he has already featured in the Champions League for the Madrid outfit.
Kovacic can shield the defence well and also has great technical ability while in possession. He will be an ideal fit for Jose Mourinho’s Red Army going into the business end of the season if they manage to secure his signature. The Red Devils are currently sitting pretty in second place in the Premier League table, following their hard-fought 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Sunday.
However, they are still 11 points behind Manchester City in the title race and need to try and close the gap during the busy Christmas period.
A few weeks ago, their crucial match versus their rivals Manchester City was decided in the midfield when Jose Mourinho’s men couldn’t cope with the fluid midfield of the Citizens without the services of Paul Pogba. It is evident that Mourinho needs to beef up his midfield in his attempts to challenge City and compete for major honours once again.
With the January transfer window looming on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether the Reds of Manchester can pull off a major coup as they try to secure the services of Kovacic who has a record of completing the second most dribbles in La Liga last season, just behind Barcelona talisman and Argentine sensation Lionel Messi.
