Mateo Kovacic confirms decision on Manchester City future after talks with Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

Mateo Kovacic has confirmed he will be staying at Manchester City this summer after holding talks with new manager Enzo Maresca and the club’s hierarchy.

The 32-year-old had been widely linked with a potential departure from the Etihad Stadium following the arrivals of Elliot Anderson and Tijjani Reijnders in central midfield, with reports earlier in the window suggesting the club were open to sanctioning a high-profile midfield exit as the depth of their options in that area of the pitch continued to grow.

However, Kovacic has now made clear that those conversations with Maresca and director of football Hugo Viana produced a very different outcome – with the Croatia international emerging from those talks with his confidence in his own future at the club firmly intact.

The midfielder joined Manchester City from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and has won the Premier League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup across three seasons at the Etihad Stadium, establishing himself as one of the most technically accomplished operators in the club’s squad during a period of significant transition.

Kovacic’s contract runs until the summer of 2027, and his decision to stay removes one of the more intriguing personnel questions from Maresca’s first summer in charge before the new campaign gets underway.

Kovacic: They count on me, which was important to hear

Speaking to Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News, Kovacic has confirmed that a decision has been made on his future at the Etihad Stadium.

“I didn’t feel question marks from them,” said Kovacic. “I spoke with them, they count on me, which was important to hear from them.

“And now for the players it’s always on you to show your best version, because if you’re playing good, the manager will put you first.”

What does Kovacic staying mean for Man City’s midfield plans?

With Kovacic confirmed as part of the squad for the 2026-27 season, Maresca now has a midfield group of considerable depth and experience to work with once the World Cup returnees come back from their extended post-tournament rest in the coming weeks.

Anderson, Reijnders, Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Claudio Echeverri and now Kovacic all compete for central midfield minutes alongside the younger options developing through the club’s academy structure – a richness of options that gives Maresca significant tactical flexibility across what promises to be a demanding first season in charge.

For Kovacic personally, the clarity he now has about his standing at the club should free him to approach pre-season with the same direct, purposeful energy that has characterised his best form at the Etihad Stadium, without the distraction of transfer speculation clouding a preparation period in which every training session with the new manager matters.

Whether he becomes a regular starter under Maresca or a key contributor from within a squad rotation will depend entirely, by his own admission, on how he performs – and at 32, with a Champions League, Premier League and two domestic cups already in the cabinet, Kovacic is a player who has always shown he can deliver when trusted.