Rival Premier League clubs and teams in Germany are competing for the signature of Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Croatian international is closing in on the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and Romano says that, with there being no sign of a new deal, interest in the player is increasing:

“For Kovacic, at the moment, there are no conversations over a new deal, so there is a concrete possibility for him to leave. It’s true that there are clubs pursuing him in Germany and also in England, of course, but nothing is advanced because Chelsea want important money. They don’t want to give players for free. They don’t want to give players on loan.”

Bayern Munich are said to be keen on Kovacic, with manager Thomas Tuchel hoping to work with the 29-year-old once again, but the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool have been mentioned as other potential suitors.

As Romano points out, though, Chelsea won’t let the midfielder leave on the cheap. The Blues are said to be holding out for around £40m, so we shall see who is prepared to stump up the cash.

Why is Kovacic being allowed to leave Chelsea?

Kovacic is closing in on 30 years of age and, with the Blues looking to build a young squad, offering him a long-term contract wouldn’t make a great deal of sense.

He is currently earning £100,000 a week, and you would expect he would demand a wage rise, in addition to a lengthy extension, so allowing him to leave seems the prudent move financially.