Manchester City could open the doors to sell Mateo Kovacic amid interest from Aston Villa and West Ham United ahead of January.

According to Fichajes, Aston Villa and West Ham United could be boosted in their pursuit of Mateo Kopvacic ahead of the January window. Manchester City are now considering the prospects of selling the Croat in January, as he is no longer considered a part of their long-term planning.

Mateo Kovacic made his return to the Manchester City squad last weekend when he was reintroduced to the pitch following a long spell out with a serious injury. The Croatian midfielder subsequently played over half an hour in the Champions League in midweek, and he could be set for more minutes at the weekend.

However, there are question marks over his long-term prospects at the Etihad as Manchester City are now considering selling the midfielder. Despite earlier rumours, the idea of a new contract now seems to be ruled out as the Criatian will have 18 months left on his deal heading into the January window.

Having signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea in a £25 million deal back in 2023, Manchester City do not view him as a long-term option for their project. Some new players have come in during the summer, with Tijjani Reijnders directly threatening to end the Croat’s time at the Etihad.

Manchester City would be open to selling the player in January so as not to have further complications next summer. There are possible scenarios where the £25 million Manchester City midfielder might angle to stay in the final year of his deal.

Mateo Kovacic attracting big interest

Some teams are interested in signing the midfielder, namely Aston Villa and West Ham United, ahead of the winter transfer window. Those clubs are likely to explore the possibilities of exploring a move for the midfielder ahead of the winter window, but much will depend on Manchester City’s asking price as well as the player’s wage demands.

West Ham desperately need an experienced presence in their midfield, and so do Aston Villa, but not to the extent of the Hammers. Hence, much will depend on whether there are proper opportunities for Mateo Kovacic to further his career in the immediate future.