Chelsea yet to commence official contract talks with Mateo Kovacic

Chelsea are yet to kick off negotiations with Mateo Kovacic over signing a new contract, according to football.london.

Since moving to Chelsea on an initial loan deal which was eventually made permanent in 2019, Kovacic has not put pen to paper on an extension and has just over 12 months left on his current deal.

While there have been several reports of him extending his stay at Stamford Bridge, no official talks have commenced at the moment.

Despite acquiring the services of Enzo Fernandez for a club-record fee back during the last transfer window, Chelsea are expected to seek further reinforcements in the centre of the pitch next summer.

Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham remain on the Blues’ radar, while West Ham United’s Declan Rice could be set for a return to west London.

To make space for potential new additions and generate income to balance their financial books, Chelsea could sanction the sale of another senior midfielder after parting ways with Jorginho back in January.

Kovacic has been linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City as Pep Guardiola reportedly remains keen on the ex-Real Madrid man, who he courted during his days at Santiago Bernabeu.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding his future, Kovacic remains a regular member of Graham Potter’s first-team plans when fit, having made 27 appearances across all competitions this term.

However, with long-term absentee N’Golo Kante now back from an injury lay-off which sidelined him since the middle of August, Kovacic could be set for a reduced role in the final stretch of the season.

The 28-year-old is currently focused on helping his country secure a winning start to their European Championship qualification campaign when Croatia play Wales on Saturday.