Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic is in talks to join Zenit Saint Petersburg this summer, according to reports.
The Croatian midfielder is currently on a season-long loan at Chelsea from Madrid and whilst there is a desire for a permanent deal to be constructed, the London club are currently under a transfer ban.
The 24-year-old has made 43 first-team appearances for the West London club since last summer’s loan deal, but there is no option to buy included in the deal.
However, the Mail now say Madrid are happy to cash-in on the player this summer and Russian club Zenit are currently in talks.
“I want to try with Kovacic. He is only on loan, of course. I'd like very much that Kovacic will stay with us,” Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri told reporters earlier this week, reiterating his desire for the player to remain at Stamford Bridge.
Madrid signed the former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder from Italian giants Inter in the summer of 2015 for €30m and are said to want significantly more than that sum in the event of a permanent departure.
The Croat started only 37 La Liga games across three seasons in the Spanish capital with only 10 of those coming last season.
