According to a recent Football Insider story, Manchester United is currently keeping a close eye on Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic in preparation for a summer transfer bid.

Whom may Manchester United sign as a midfielder this summer?

Fabrizio Romano recently stated that one of Erik ten Hag’s summer goals will be finding a fresh option in the engine room, and Man United are interested in signing Declan Rice, the captain of West Ham.

The same source states that the Hammers are expected to seek £120 million for the 24-year-old, thus the Red Devils may consider other players instead, such as Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga.

The Guardian reported that Chelsea are prepared to lose Kovacic this summer due to interest from Bayern Munich, both Manchester teams, and Football Insider has now supplied a new update on United’s pursuit.

Ten Hag is reportedly keeping a tight check on the £100k per week midfielder after it was revealed that negotiations for a new contract at Stamford Bridge had reportedly gone down, despite the club’s leadership wanting to bind him to a new deal.

The possibility of moving to Old Trafford is now on the table, therefore the Red Devils are monitoring the situation and closely watching to see if a deal can be made for the Croatian.

The 29-year-old’s current club might be obliged to lower their asking price in order to prevent losing him for free next summer because he is entering the final year of his contract with the Blues.

Mateo Kovacic should Man United acquire him?

Although bringing in someone like Rice would certainly thrill United supporters more than signing the Croatian international, he has demonstrated his ability in the Premier League with Chelsea over a period of years, appearing in 140 games in the top division.

The maestro, who has been dubbed “unbelievable” by the media, is a player who thinks strategically and has an eye for selecting teammates, as evidenced by the fact that he has had a strong year in terms of progressive passes and passes attempted per 90.

However, the midfielder, who was born in Austria, is not the most effective in front of goal, having contributed to just three goals in the league this season, and his defensive skills also need improvement.

Kovacic could be a good back-up option for Man United given his experience in the Premier League, but Ten Hag unquestionably has to bring in someone better to contend for a regular spot in the starting XI.