Mateo Kovačić is a Croatian international currently playing for Real Madrid, but could be on his way out in search of more playing time and Arsenal are reportedly interested in making a deal.
Linz (Austria) born Mateo Kovačić is a Croatian midfielder who is showing great signs of talent that is yet to fully flourish.
The 23-year-old started his youth career at Austrian clubs before moving to Dinamo Zagreb where he made his senior debut and played for three years before making a €11m move to Inter Milan. In 2015, after two seasons in Italy, Real Madrid came in, offered €31m and made him their player.
Kovačić has never established himself as a first team player at the Bernabeu, as the competition in the Real Madrid squad is fierce for every position and the player was often behind his Spanish counterparts and James Rodriguez who came one season earlier for €75m.
He did manage to play in 39 games for Real Madrid but almost half of those appearances came from the bench. Kovačić scored two goals and added three assists.
His international career started in 2013 and so far he has collected 34 caps for Croatia.
Weaknesses
At 5″ 8′ he isn’t a short or tall player, but his weak physical strength makes him an easy target for far stronger players. Kovačić also has plenty of problems when faced with high balls. He wins only one third of all aerial duels, and for the 1.7 tackles he wins, he loses 2.
His holding of the ball is remarkable, but on occasion he can hold possession for too long and it can disrupt the attacking flow of his team. That’s one part of his game that could use more guidance and tutoring from more experienced players.
Next, would he fit at Arsenal?