Mateo Kovacic is set to sign for Chelsea on a permanent basis after they reportedly reached an agreement with Real Madrid.
The Blues have a two-window transfer ban looming, but are able to sign players who are on loan at the club because they are already registered.
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With Chelsea failing to negotiate the option to buy the Croatian outright, Real are said to want in the region of £44million for him and while there is no confirmation of a fee, a deal has been reached, report The Telegraph.
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Kovacic joined Real from Inter for a fee in the region of £25m in 2015, but found himself behind Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro in the pecking order at the Bernabeu and decided to join the Blues on a season-long loan last summer.
A deal for Kovacic must be completed while he is still registered, with his loan deal expiring on Saturday.
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It is a signing that makes sense considering Chelsea will be without Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a result of injury and Danny Drinkwater’s future is undecided, leaving them with just Ross Barkley, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri was a huge admirer of Kovacic, making him a mainstay of the midfield, where he played 32 times in the Premier League and a further 12 matches en route to capturing the Europa League at the expense of Arsenal.
