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Who?
20-year-old Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic
Where?
Mateo Kovacic plays football for Internazionale in the Serie A. At the age of 17, he started playing in the Croatian League where he played in 73 matches which included 12 Champions League fixtures for Dinamo Zagreb and scored seven goals. The now-20-year-old midfielder moved to the Serie A in 2013 and now can boast an impressive 25 appearances and five goals with one assist this season for the Italian giants.
Arsene, Spend Some Money
According to multiple reports, Internazionale has put an £8m price-tag on Kovacic who is a highly rated youngster with plenty of potential. Arsenal are said to be in the race with Manchester United while other European clubs are monitoring the talented Croatian in the Serie A.
Believability factor- 6/10
Kovacic fits the usual profile of players that Arsene Wenger usually likes to target. He is only 20-years-old and seems to have a lot of talent given his performances this season. He is a player with great technical ability and flair. He is able to play as an attacking midfielder and deep lying playmaker.
Arsenal fans would welcome a player of Kovacic’s potential and calibre at the club, but this signing won’t be happening until Arsene Wenger offloads a midfielder or three. Arsenal have Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Jack Wilshire, Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil all fighting for a places in midfield. Kovacic is looking to get regular first-team football and he will find it hard to cement a spot with the abundance of talent surrounding him.
Game changer?
Unfortunately not for Arsenal at the moment.
Kovacic is clearly a talented footballer who is gaining valuable experience in the Serie A. At the age of 20, he has plenty of room to grow and develop into an elite midfielder. The Croatian would take some time to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League and would not be an upgrade to the players currently in the squad. Kovacic has failed to boast impressive stats while in the Serie A which could be a potential worry for Arsenal. He is a clearly talented footballer but needs further development before being able to slide into Arsenal’s starting XI. Arsenal would be wise to spend the money on a central defender to add steel to thin defensive line.
