West London giants Chelsea have reportedly decided not to take up the option of a permanent transfer for Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
This is according to the publication from the Daily Mail which revealed that Chelsea won’t sign the Real Madrid loanee permanently this summer.
Croatian World Cup star Kovacic became a Chelsea player last summer shortly after helping his beloved country Croatia reach the World Cup final.
Mateo Kovacic and Croatia reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup final before they were beaten 4-2 by eventual winners France for their second title.
The 25-year-old signed for Chelsea on loan shortly after the tournament in Russia as part of the transfer that took Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea to Real Madrid.
- Coutinho Was Right To Swap Liverpool For Barcelona
- Hudson-Odoi Will Sign £100,000 p/w Deal On One Condition
- Ex Chelsea, Liverpool Boss Expresses Interest In Celtic Job
Mateo Kovacic was deemed to be surplus to requirements at Real Madrid before his loan move to Chelsea last summer.
He provided two assists in his 54 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions as he helped the Blues win the Europa League title via a 4-1 win over London rivals Arsenal.
The Croatian midfielder was also a prominent figure for Chelsea in the Premier League as the Blues ended the season in third position.
Kovacic and Chelsea also reached the Carabao Cup final before Manchester City won the trophy via penalties after both sides had played goalless.
Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan are interested in a return for the player in a deal that could be worth £25m.
