Manchester United must avoid the prospect of signing Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
The Red Devils are likely to invest on a new central midfielder this summer and 90min have recently claimed that they have entered the race for Kovacic.
The Croatian has yet to negotiate a new deal with the Blues and it has been reported that he could be sold with his contract expiring at the end of next season.
United have identified Kovacic as a possible alternative to Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, but in our view, the hierarchy should avoid pursuing a deal for him.
Man Utd must avoid Kovacic and sign a young creative midfielder
Kovacic has been a mainstay for Chelsea over the past four years, but he is no longer in his prime. The Croatian will be 29 before the end of the campaign.
His statistics are also not overly impressive. The Croatian has completed 85% of his passes this term but he has won only 2.6 ground and aerial duels per game.
Meanwhile, the €40 million-rated star has made just three goal contributions from 27 outings. In our opinion, United should focus on a younger midfielder with better creativity.
Christian Eriksen has proved a splendid signing on a free transfer but the club need to look into the future. They require a strong competitor for the number eight role.
Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is probably the most attractive solution, but there is a huge stumbling block as Dortmund value him a staggering €150 million.
A takeover could boost United’s chances of signing him, but it seems an improbable prospect for the club this summer if the Glazers continue to assume majority control.
A cheap alternative could be Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga. The 20-year-old has been closely watched by United scouts and could be signed for his €40m buy-out clause.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and Sofascore.com
