Even with Jorginho installed as Chelsea’s new midfield pass-master, there was something missing. Manchester City just found it too easy to control the Community Shield as a contest against Maurizio Sarri’s side on Sunday, with Jorginho overrun. Even taking into account the absence of N’Golo Kante, it was clear the Blues needed reinforcements.
Now, it appears one is about to arrive in the form of Mateo Kovacic. The Croatian, unhappy at being a peripheral figure, has been itching for a move from Real Madrid all summer long. A number of teams, including Manchester City and Manchester United, have been linked, but the Spanish press report he will sign for Chelsea on a season-long loan.
While a permanent deal would have been preferable for the Blues, they really couldn’t have hoped for a better midfield signing at this stage of the transfer window. Kovacic is among the very best central operators in Europe right now, only kept out of the Real Madrid starting lineup by the brilliance of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. It’s understandable that he wishes to find first-team football elsewhere given his quality.
Kovacic will bring energy and drive to the Chelsea midfield. He is a true box-to-box operator, the likes of which are rare in the modern game. He is the sort of player Chelsea have needed for years, the sort of player Sarri requires. In fact, he’s the successor to Frank Lampard they never quite managed to find.
Alongside Kante and Jorginho, Kovacic will give Chelsea one of the best midfield units in the Premier League. Sarri wants his team to be comfortable on the ball and energetic in the high press. Kovacic will have no problem in executing these orders. What’s more, he boasts a pedigree that will set a precedent for others around him at Stamford Bridge. The Croatian is a three-time Champions League winner and a World Cup runner-up.
It’s notoriously difficult to get deals done, at least shrewd ones, this late in the transfer window. On top of this, Premier League clubs have only made things tougher for themselves by imposing an early deadline in a World Cup year. However, Kovacic’s move to Chelsea shows that there is value out there, even at this late stage.
‘Sarri-ball’ might take some time to be imposed at Stamford Bridge, but what Chelsea do now in the transfer market will determine whether their new Italian manager stands any chance of implementing his trademark ideology. Kovacic will help take Chelsea to where Sarri wants them to be.
