Chelsea have agreed a £30m deal to sell Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City as the clear-out at Stamford Bridge continues.
The Premier League champions have been linked with Kovacic for some weeks and have now made a breakthrough in talks with Chelsea.
Kovacic has made more than 200 appearances for Chelsea since signing from Real Madrid in 2019, helping the Blues win the Champions League and Europa League.
His departure from Stamford Bridge may come as a surprise to some as the 29-year-old remained an integral member of the squad last season, playing 37 games in all competitions.
But Chelsea are offloading a number of players as they attempt to trim a bloated squad that finished just 12th in the Premier League last season.
Kovacic may also have forced Chelsea’s hand as he was believed to be keen to link up with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
As a result, he agreed personal terms with the Champions League holders earlier this month and will now undergo a medical at City.
Fabrizio Romano says Manchester City will pay Chelsea an initial £25m for the Croatia international and a further £5m in add-ons related to the team’s performance.
Kovacic will be one of a number of Chelsea players leaving west London this summer, with N’Golo Kante joining Saudi Arabia champions Al Ittihad earlier this week.
Hakim Ziyech is also on the verge of a move to Saudi side Al Nassr, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Edouard Mendy have been linked with similar moves.
Chelsea are looking to trim their squad ahead of the arrival of former Paris-Saint Germain and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, who takes over in July.