Rio Ferdinand advises Man Utd to make a move on Man City target

Chelsea midfielder Kovacic on the move

Rio Ferdinand advises Man Utd to make a move on Man City target

Stephen Oladehinde 12:30 - 01.06.2023

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been linked with a move to Manchester City after facing uncertainty about his future at Stamford Bridge.

Kovacic, who has been one of Chelsea’s key players since his arrival, is among the list of players to be offloaded by new manager Mauricio Pochettino, with Man City his possible destination.

The Croatian midfielder's contract at the Bridge expires in a year, and he has not been offered a new contract extension.

Rio Ferdinand has told Manchester United to pursue Mateo Kovacic and hijack the deal from Man City rather than Frenkie de Jong.

Chelsea's Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic
Chelsea's Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic

Leave De Jong and get Kovacic says Ferdinand

Manchester United Legend Rio Ferdinand has asked Man United to chase Kovacic which is a possible deal than De Jong which looks impossible.

This season, Kovacic has made 27 Premier League appearances for the Blues and has only directly assisted three goals. Ferdinand is keen to watch the midfielder work his magic at United despite his underwhelming performances last season.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, FIVE, Ferdinand said,  “It sounds too difficult and too complicated [to sign De Jong] – move on, I think Kovacic has got a year left. I like him… He's different from what we've got."

The Times has reported that Chelsea will probably ask for between £30 million and £40 million for Kovacic if a transfer occurs.

Chelsea preparing to offload players

The Blues are currently working out a way to offload some of their players ahead of next season with the new manager coming in.

According to reports from football.london, Chelsea are doing a squad overhaul and plans to bring fresh legs to the team.

New manager Pochettino has started working on bringing in new players and letting old players leave with Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic not in his plan for next season.

Both players have been linked with a move to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, with negotiations still ongoing with both parties.

Other players such as Aubameyang, Joao Felix, Zakaria, Pulisic and many more are all expected to leave the club in the summer.