From Italy: Man City offer Mateo Kovacic to Inter Milan but squad congestion cools San Siro interest | OneFootball

Manchester City have offered Mateo Kovacic to Inter Milan in recent days, though the Serie A champions are unlikely to pursue a move given the current congestion in their midfield, as per a new report from Italy.

Kovacic, 32, has been identified as one of the players Manchester City are looking to move on as part of a summer rebuild that has already seen significant incomings at the Etihad Stadium, with the Croatia international having been reported as considered likely to depart before the transfer window closes.

The £116 million arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest has significantly altered the landscape of the midfield available to incoming manager Enzo Maresca, adding further competition for places in a position where Kovacic had previously been a regular and trusted contributor under Pep Guardiola.

Director of football Hugo Viana has been working to manage the outgoing side of the club’s summer business alongside the incomings, with the futures of several experienced players in the squad still to be resolved as pre-season preparations gather pace at the Etihad Stadium.

The approach to Inter represents one strand of that effort, with City understood to be exploring multiple potential destinations for Kovacic as they seek to find a route out that works for player, club and suitor in the time remaining before the window closes.

Report: Inter shown Kovacic but midfield depth rules out immediate pursuit

As reported by Matteo Moretto and relayed by FcInterNewsit, Inter Milan have been offered the chance to sign Kovacic in recent days, with Manchester City’s representatives approaching the Italian champions to gauge their interest in a player seeking regular first-team football ahead of the new season.

However, Moretto reports that a move would “hardly be considered at the moment” given the current volume of midfield players within Inter’s squad, with the Serie A side’s existing depth in that area of the pitch making it difficult to justify adding another option regardless of the quality on offer.

The rejection, or more precisely the lack of active interest, does not close off Inter’s involvement in the Kovacic story entirely – squad situations can shift quickly across a transfer window, and a departure elsewhere within Inter’s midfield could yet reopen the conversation – but as matters stand it represents a significant early setback for City’s efforts to secure a sale.

It is worth noting that this is an offer rather than a request – the initiative here has come from Manchester City’s side rather than from Inter’s – which reflects the proactive approach Viana is taking to managing the outgoing elements of Maresca’s squad rebuild rather than waiting for clubs to come to them.

What does Inter’s lack of interest mean for Kovacic’s Man City future?

The absence of an obvious buyer at this stage of the summer leaves City in a familiar position with a number of their more experienced players – holding assets that have real quality but finding that the market for players at that level of salary and age is considerably narrower than the supply of interested clubs at the enquiry stage would suggest.

Nottingham Forest have previously been linked with an interest in Kovacic, with the irony of City and Forest conducting further business in the wake of the Anderson deal adding an obvious subplot to that particular avenue, though no concrete bid from the City Ground club has materialised publicly at this stage.

For Kovacic himself, the priority will be finding a club where he can play regularly and at the level his quality demands, with the Croatia international’s performances at the FIFA World Cup – where he has represented his nation throughout the group stages – a timely reminder of the calibre of player any prospective suitor would be acquiring.

Whether Manchester City can identify a willing buyer before the window closes and before pre-season commitments make an unresolved situation increasingly disruptive for all parties, remains the central challenge Viana faces in managing the departure side of a summer that has so far been defined more by its high-profile arrivals than its exits.