Manchester United to make a move for Real Madrid star – Good move or bad?
Manchester United are reportedly interested in a summer move for Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic. Jose Mourinho is understood to be keen on bringing the talented player to Old Trafford at the end of the season. Considering the fact that Real paid around £22.5m to acquire his services from Inter Milan, the Red Devils will possibly have to offer a higher valuation if they are to complete a deal for Kovacic.
Despite spending almost 3 seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, Kovacic has failed to cement a spot for himself in the first-team. He did put in some truly brilliant performances last season but that has not been enough for Zinedine Zidane to start him more regularly.
A central midfielder by trade, the 23-year-old has had to compete with veteran players like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos and one cannot really blame him for that. Even the best players in the world would struggle to get regular game time when Kroos and Modric are in the team, thus making it clear that the young star is in dire need of a change in environment to develop his career further.
To that end, moving to United seems like a step in the right direction. United have struggled with options in the midfield area and with Michael Carrick set to hang up his boots by the end of the season, Kovacic could prove to be the ideal replacement. He is young, has a long way to go and he already boasts of excellent talent, skill and technique. United might have to dig deep into their pockets and come with a hefty sum but it will be worth it.
He has managed to appear merely 13 times for the reigning European champions this season so far and has spent 255 minutes on the field. That is definitely not enough for a young player like him since he needs to clock regular playing minutes in order to hone his skills. He could either fit comfortably alongside Nemanja Matic in the centre of the field or work well even with Marouane Fellaini.
There is definitely a lack of quality options in the midfield area for United and that will only be exemplified further as days go by. Moreover, with Real performing quite poorly this season, it might be the best thing for Kovacic to move away from the club.
With challenges set to intensify from here on, Mourinho will need to find a quality long-term option in the next window and from what we have seen in Kovacic so far, he seems like the best person to fill the void at Old Trafford.