Craig Burley, a pundit, predicts that Mateo Kovacic will play a significant role for Manchester City next year.
It was previously reported that the Citizens and Chelsea had reached an agreement for the midfielder’s transfer, which will cost an initial £25 million plus an additional £5 million.
One pundit has since shared his opinions on the subject as a result of this.
Burley praises City’s acquisition of Kovacic
In a recent video posted to the ESPN UK YouTube channel, Burley discussed City’s acquisition of Kovacic and the likelihood that he will see action.
“I think this is great business,” he said, “because I think Kovacic is a very good player. You look at the experience he’s got, you look at where he’s played, he will get you the odd goal, he’s very tidy on the ball, and he’s not afraid to take it in tight spaces, particularly off the back line and we know City do that.
“He’s an aggressive passer with a good passing range. He doesn’t appear to have many injury concerns, and the transfer fee is a B transfer because you’re bolstering your squad. Guardiola is aware of what he wants.
I believe that Kovacic will play more than most people anticipate, and I think that this is a great move for the player as a whole.
This emphasises the elite experience Burley mentioned, having made over 100 appearances for Real Madrid and over 200 for Chelsea, winning four Champions League titles along the way.
With 142 Premier League appearances under his belt, he should find it simpler to fit in at City rather than having to learn how the league is structured.
Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly set to sign a free agent contract with Barcelona this summer, so it may be simple to understand why City chose to sign Kovacic and how he might end up playing fairly frequently starting next season and beyond.
Burley believes the Citizens made a great summer transfer move in signing the 29-year-old, but this won’t be proven until the player starts to play and demonstrates why the team picked him.
