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Jose Mourinho 'identifies' Man City midfielder as top target for Fenerbahce

Mourinho 'identifies' Man City man as top target
© Imago
Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho reportedly wants to sign Croatia international Mateo Kovacic from Manchester City.

Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly earmarked Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic as his top midfield target.

Having coached in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, Mourinho is now hoping to make his mark in the Turkish Super Lig after being appointed Fenerbahce head coach earlier this summer.

The former Roma manager is looking to build a squad capable of winning Fenerbahce's first league title since the 2013-14 season.

Mourinho has already made several additions to his squad, including Caglar Soyuncu, Allan Saint-Maximin, Rade Krunic and Cenk Tosun.

Fenerbahce have also signed Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri, breaking their transfer record to sign the striker from Sevilla in a £20m deal.

Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic celebrates scoring their second goal on December 19, 2023© Reuters

Mourinho targeting Kovacic move

The Turkish giants could break that record again, with Mourinho keen to prise a midfielder away from the Premier League champions.

According to The Sun, the Fenerbahce boss is keen to sign Kovacic and has asked the club's board to pull out all the stops to secure his signature.

Fenerbahce were previously linked with a move for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has since completed a loan switch to Marseille from Tottenham Hotspur.

Nottingham Forest's Ibrahim Sangare and Burnley's Sander Berge are also on Fenerbahce's radar, but Mourinho has seemingly identified Kovacic as his top midfield target.

Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic pictured on September 2, 2023© Reuters

Will Man City sell Kovacic?

Kovacic, who joined Man City from Chelsea last summer, made 46 competitive appearances during his first season with the Citizens, chipping in with three goals and an assist.

The Croatia international is currently taking part in Man City's pre-season tour of the United States, but there is a possibility that he could leave the Citizens this summer.

Although Kovacic has a contract until June 2027, the Citizens will consider a sale if they can recoup the initial £25m that they paid to sign him from Chelsea last year.

A move to Fenerbahce would give the 30-year-old the chance to play in a fifth different country in his senior career, having previously competed in Croatia, Italy, Spain and England.

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Written by
Ben Sully

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New Fenerbahce coach Jose Mourinho reacts during the presentation on June 2, 2024
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