Refusing offers for Mateo Kovacic should be Inter Milan's focus this summer
Liverpool look hellbent on returning to the Champions League next season and for good reason. After flirting with Europe’s elite, the Reds will ply their trade in the Europa League once more after ending the Premier League campaign 6th.
Brendan Rodgers has wasted little time in moving to strengthen his squad, securing the services of James Milner and Danny Ings from Manchester City and Burnley respectively. Experienced in England’s top division they may be, Milner and Ings - as good as they are - are not quite the marquee signings Liverpool fans crave.
The Merseyside outfit have been linked with a host of big-name players in recent months, including Marco Reus and Roberto Firmino, and to some the acquisitions of Milner and Ings leave a lot to be desired. Supporters understandably want to see their club sign players who will bring them to their feet when they drive forward in possession. A headline grabbing performer worth the money spent to secure his services.One of those capable of doing just that is midfielder
One of those capable of doing just that is midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The Croatian youngster has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool, though reports suggest Inter are not prepared to entertain offers for the highly rated midfielder.
At just 21 years of age, Kovacic is widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects on the continent. Already a fully-fledged Croatia international with 20 caps to his name, it’s fair to say Liverpool would not only be acquiring a quality midfielder at present, but one who is only going to improve.
Therefore, it would be within Inter’s best interests to retain the services of Kovacic. The Nerazzurri may have underwhelmed last season, but the pieces are in place for Roberto Mancini to mould the squad in his image. The former Manchester City and Galatasaray manager inherited a side assembled by Walter Mazzarri, which was part of the reason why Inter disappointed.
However, as the campaign came to a head, the team showed signs that they are capable of launching an assault on the European places next term, provided Mancini is allowed to invest accordingly.
The team will likely be built around the likes of Mauro Icardi, Xherdan Shaqiri, Juan Jesus and Samir Handanovic to provide the foundations for success and Mancini would be wise to include Kovacic in that mix. A WhoScored rating of 7.15 was one of the best of all Inter players in Serie A last season, so reports linking the Croat with a move away from the San Siro are somewhat bewildering given his talent.
Kovacic’s strongest asset is perhaps his dribbling ability. A low centre of a gravity benefits the unassuming midfielder, who is difficult to stop once he gets the ball at his feet. Only Juan Cuadrado (279) and Fredy Guarín (256) have completed more successful dribbles than Kovacic (219) in the last three Serie A seasons.
However, given he is regularly subbed on and off, one successful dribble every 23.2 minutes of league action is a hugely impressive return and the best of all players to make at last 50 league appearances in the last three Serie A campaigns. An average of 2.6 successful dribbles per game last season ranked among the top 10 players in Italy’s top tier and reinforces Kovacic’s statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’.
Boasting an eye of a defence-splitting pass - the Croatian played more accurate through balls (11) than any other Serie A player last season - the creative side of Kovacic’s game is a highlight. It’s unsurprising that a number of Europe’s top teams have taken a liking to the 5’11” star.
Only Marek Hamsik (68) and Franco Vázquez (63) played more key passes from open play than Kovacic (61) in Italy’s top tier last term, with teams keen on harnessing the inventive quality of his game.
He is not one to shirk away from the physical side of the game either, with an average of 1.6 tackles per game hinting at the impressive defensive ability in Kovacic’s repertoire. When factoring just starts, however, that figure rises to 1.9, which is a commendable figure for the former Dinamo Zagreb youngster.
Remarkably, 2014/15 was the first season that Kovacic netted in Serie A since signing for Inter, though he did so on 5 occasions, 3 of which came under Mancini. An average of 1.2 shots per game was also his best return in Italy’s top tier and it’s clear he has been instructed to chance his arm in front of goal more often in order to improve his all-round midfield ability.
If Inter were to cash in on him now they would be losing a player whose potential can be considered limitless. Those associated with the club are now beginning to see the best of Kovacic and they would be wise to not entertain offers for him given just how good a midfielder he can become. After Philippe Coutinho's move to Liverpool in 2013, and the Brazilian's subsequent success at Anfield, Inter will not want to allow another young midfielder to slip through the net.
Already considered one of the best youngsters in his position on the continent, now is the time for Mancini to harness his potential and build the squad around him if the Italian coach is to re-establish Inter as one of the dominant forces in Italian and European football.