De Bruyne and Luka Modric respond to Mateo Kovacic’s message after Man City development
Mateo Kovacic sent a message of “patience” to Manchester City fans after his season was cut short by suspension and injury.
Man City‘s season is still not over a their late revival to finish third in the Premier League and secure Champions League football, with this summer’s Club World Cup on the horizon for Pep Guardiola‘s side.
City went unbeaten in their last 10 matches and won seven of them to climb from sixth to third in the season’s final weeks, with Champions League qualification the silver lining of a disappointing campaign.
A final-day victory at Fulham put a third-placed finish behind Arsenal and Liverpool beyond doubt for Guardiola’s side, but that win came without Mateo Kovacic after his prior red card against Bournemouth.
Kovacic sends Man City message after injury setback
Kovacic’s dismissal in the penultimate match of the season could have been his last act in a City shirt, as Mick Brown told Football Insider that the Croatian is one of six players Guardiola could sell this summer.
However, the 31-year-old underwent surgery on 2 June for an Achilles injury which City confirmed would rule him out of this summer’s Club World Cup, and could now also prevent a summer transfer away.
Kovacic made 42 appearances in all competitions across his second season at the Etihad Stadium, and posted on Instagram (3 June) after his surgery with a message which read: “Surgery went well. Now patience, hard work, and faith.”
Outgoing City captain Kevin De Bruyne responded to call Kovacic his “brother”, while Croatia team-mate Luka Modric left a comment of a ‘raised hands’ emoji as well as a love heart to show his support.
Kovacic transfer setback won’t slow Man City rebuild
Football Insider Verdict
Although Kovacic’s Achilles surgery will likely prevent most clubs from attempting to sign him this summer, City will still look to offload the likes of Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and other aging players.
De Bruyne’s imminent exit from the Etihad has loomed for several weeks, and although he is widely expected to join Napoli, he could opt to remain in the Premier League if Antonio Conte moves on.
Modric has also joined De Bruyne on the free agency market, and with a move to Rangers now unlikely as Davide Ancelotti looks set to miss out on the managerial role, two of the world’s best players in recent years could be up for grabs.