Bayern want ‘incredible exchange’ as Kovacic provides ‘escape route’ to Chelsea for wantaway star

Bayern Munich could ‘undertake an incredible exchange’ to land Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea this summer, according to reports.

Reports emerged last month that Kovacic ‘wants to leave’ Chelsea at the end of the season and it was claimed he had ‘offered himself to AC Milan’.

Then last week N1 claimed ‘Kovacic is a great desire of Pep Guardiola’ at Manchester City.

The report claimed Kovacic’s representative were in London to talk through a move to the Etihad with the City bosses, who wanted the Croatian international to replace Kalvin Phillips, who has barely featured since his £45m move from Leeds in the summer, and is said to be ‘close to signing for Aston Villa’.

The Chelsea owners have made it clear that they are not willing to allow players’ contracts to run down to nothing, so given Kovacic has just a year left on his current deal and there are no reports of extension negotiations, he will indeed be on his way out of the club.

Both Inter Milan and Bayern are also keen, according to InterLive.it (via Sport Witness), and with reports suggesting Chelsea would rather not sell directly to a Premier League rival, appear to be more likely landing spots.

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio dreams for bringing Kovacic back to the club, after the 28-year-old enjoyed time with the Serie A side between 2013 and 2015 before moving to Real Madrid.

But Kovacic’s €40m price tag will be a problem for Inter, which could give Bayern the advantage.

Thomas Tuchel wants to reunite with Kovacic after the pair’s successful time together at Chelsea and it’s claimed the Bundesliga side won’t ‘necessarily having to resort to cash’.

They could instead ‘undertake an incredible exchange negotiation’ for the midfielder by including Leroy Sane as part of the deal.

Sane, who was punched in the face by teammate Sadio Mane after their defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League, could return to England to follow his ‘fed up’ wife, who recently came back to the UK.

Kovacic and Chelsea could be Sane’s ‘escape route’.

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