Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic has been signed by Chelsea on a season-long loan from the Spanish giants Real Madrid, with Chelsea’s No.1 Thibaut Courtois to have his permanent move to Real Madrid to be confirmed later today.

The Croatian midfielder, Kovacic, has been in Madrid for the last three seasons since joining the Italian club Inter Milan. Despite the move, he had very little game time at Madrid, whose midfield was dominated by Kovacic’s fellow countrymen Luka Modric and the German workhorse, Toni Kroos.

Kovacic was a part of the Croatian squad that reached the finals of the FIFA World Cup held in Russia, this summer. Though he didn’t get too many starts in Russia as well, he did make important contributions as a substitute.

Kovacic joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2015 and have gone on to win three consecutive Uefa Champions League title.

Kovacic was just 17 years old when he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League against the French club, Lyon. The goal made him the second-youngest player to have ever found the back of the net in the Champions League.

“He is a perfect fit for us this season, his style is well suited to how Maurizio wants to play, and we are sure he will prove to be a valuable asset for the club.”, said Marina Granovska, the director of Chelsea football club on Kovacic’s addition to the squad.

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