Mateo Kovacic officially a Manchester City player

• Mateo Kovacic has officially completed his move from Chelsea to Premier League giants Manchester City
• Kovacic joins on an initial £25 million deal, plus a guaranteed £5 million in performance-related ad-ons

Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic has officially completed his move from Chelsea to Premier League giants Manchester City.

Kovacic joins on an initial £25 million deal, plus a guaranteed £5 million in performance-related ad-ons. The 29-year-old signed a four-year deal with Manchester City and is the Cytizens first signing of the summer. He will wear the No 8 shirt recently vacated by Ilkay Gundogan who joined La Liga club FC Barcelona.

Mateo Kovacic. Photo/ Flipboard.

Speaking after signing the deal, Mateo Kovacic described his move as a brilliant one and he can’t wait to get started with Manchester City.

“This is a brilliant move for me, and I cannot wait to get started with City. Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are – for me, they are the best in the world. The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there. To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer.” Mateo Kovacic said, as per Manchester City’s official website.

Kovacic believes he will be a better player under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The Croatian midfielder also added that he still has a lot of development to do and is planning to rest for a few weeks before coming back.

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain described Kovacic as an excellent footballer who has plenty of experience playing at the top level.

“Mateo is an excellent footballer. He can play as a 6 or an 8, has plenty of experience at top level clubs and he understands the Premier League. It was a very simple decision to bring him to City because he has the tactical and technical qualities we are looking for in a midfielder.”

Mateo Kovacic is Pep Guardiola’s first signing of the summer after they won the Treble of UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. He will be feeling the gap left behind by German international Ilkay Gundogan.

During his five seasons at Chelsea, Mateo Kovacic made a total of 221 appearances. He left the club after winning the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He also collected individual awards, including Chelsea’s 2019/20 Player of the Year award. Kovacic made 37 appearances for Chelsea last season as they finished 12th in the top flight.

Mateo Kovacic made 221 appearances for Chelsea prior to his move to Manchester City this summer. Photo/ Planet Football.

Prior to joining Chelsea in August 2018, Kovacic was at Real Madrid where he also achieved great success. The Croatian midfielder was part of Real Madrid’s squad that won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. He also won the La Liga, Supercopa de Espana, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

At international level, Mateo Kovacic represents the Croatian national team. He has so far earned 95 caps for Croatia and played every single game as they finished third in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.