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Man City's summer pursuit of Mateo Kovacic 'enters its final stages' as the Chelsea star 'closes in on a £34m move' - but the Blues want to recoup sizeable up-front fee to ease FFP fears

Manchester City are reported to be close to completing a £34m swoop for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

The deal - that would see the Croatian international join the newly crowned European champions - is said to be in its final stages according to ESPN. However issues surrounding Chelsea’s precarious Financial Fair Play position have caused a minor delay.

After spending nearly £600m in Todd Boehly’s first year at the club, Chelsea are keen to recoup a sizeable up-front fee for their wantaway star, but are under pressure to complete a deal before June 30 when any outgoings will be counted against the 2022-23 season’s expenditure.