Man City make ‘£25m Kovacic transfer bid as they look to pair Chelsea star with Croatia team-mate’

MANCHESTER CITY have reportedly lodged a bid to sign Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic.

The Treble winners are thought to have offered the Blues £25milion to sign the Croatian midfielder.

Kovacic, 29, has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium in recent weeks and now Man City are set to ramp up their interest.

According to , City have made their bid to Chelsea having already been granted permission to discuss personal terms with the player.

The report has suggested that the former Real Madrid star is keen on a move to the Premier League champions.

It is also thought that the two clubs are now working on a "solution" to agree on a deal.

Kovacic only has one year left on his current contract at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues looking to shift on some of their ageing players as part of Mauricio Pochettino's rebuild.

Meanwhile, transfer expert has claimed that the Citizens will then turn their attention to Kovacic's international team-mate Josko Gvardiol.

The reporter believes that City will "push again" for the central defender, 21, with personal terms "almost agreed".

However, it is thought that RB Leipzig will be looking to make more than the reported £68m fee.

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Romano has claimed that the Bundesliga side are still hopeful of keeping their star player.

The Croatian is wanted by a host of top clubs but City appear to be leading the race.

He has a £98million release clause in his contract, which expires in 2027.

Gvardiol has impressed for RB Leipzig since arriving from Dinamo Zagreb two seasons ago.

The defender, who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, has helped the club win two domestic cups and achieve back-to-back top for finishes.

His stunning performances also led to Croatia coming third in the World Cup in Qatar.

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