While Manchester United bolstered their midfield ranks last summer with the signings of the experienced pairing of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, the centre of the park looks set to be another priority area for Erik ten Hag ahead of next season.
As per Manchester Evening News, the Dutchman is said to be targeting a 'younger midfielder' in order to freshen up the current ranks, with the likes of Eriksen, Casemiro and Fred all now in their thirties and hardly long-term options.
Amid that search for a more youthful addition, there have been notable links to West Ham United skipper, Declan Rice, with the 24-year-old – who's been described as "world-class" by manager Danny Cowley – seemingly the type of figure who could be a fixture of the Red Devils side for the foreseeable future.
It is then something of a surprise to see the current speculation that United are also said to be keen on signing Croatian star, Mateo Kovacic from rivals Chelsea, with Football Insider recently stating that the Old Trafford outfit are willing to splash out £30m on the wantaway playmaker – who has just a year left to run on his existing deal at Stamford Bridge.
At 29, the former Real Madrid man – who is also reportedly of interest to Manchester City – would appear to be at odds with Ten Hag's desire for a 'younger' acquisition, with it perhaps wise for the top-four hopefuls to think again before sanctioning such a move.
Should Man United sign Kovacic?
The Red Devils should wish to avoid a repeat of the signing of another midfield maestro from the Blues in the form of Nemanja Matic, with the Serbian colossus having been snapped up from west London on a £40m deal back in 2017.
While the one-time Benfica ace arrived at the Theatre of Dreams with a wealth of experience having claimed two Premier League titles during his time with Chelsea, the 6 foot 4 brute's age meant he was never likely to be a long-term solution, having been 28 at the time of his capture.
Although the 48-cap destroyer did make a strong early impression during Jose Mourinho's tenure – having been described as a "genius" by the Portuguese coach – he was unable to maintain that influence during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time at the helm, notably making just 12 league starts in the 2020/21 campaign.
As it proved, United ultimately took a hefty loss on Matic as he was allowed to leave for nothing last summer after five years at the club, with that again showcasing the perils of signing a player who is potentially past their peak.
In the case of Kovacic, the one-time Inter Milan man has been lauded as a "baller" – in the words of podcaster Dan McCarthy – after racking up 220 appearances for his current side to date, notably winning the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel in 2020/21.
As for the current campaign, however, the £100k-per-week asset has found life difficult after being restricted to just 17 league starts for the mid-table outfit, providing just one goal and two assists from his number eight role.
Having hardly done much this season to warrant a move to Old Trafford – notably having 'failed to impact the game' against Nottingham Forest last time out, as per football.london's Sam Hill – it could well represent another short-term, transfer gamble for United if they are to push for a move, much like the case of Matic.