Chelsea have completed a season-long loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
Kovacic joins the club as part of the deal that sees Thibaut Courtois complete his move to Real, subject to the agreement of personal terms and a medical.
Kovacic’s arrival paves the way for Chelsea to send Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan to AC Milan.
Bakayoko has struggled for form and fitness since arriving from Monaco in a £40m deal in the summer of 2017.
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Bakayoko would have fallen down Maurizio Sarri’s midfield pecking order this season, with the Italian’s likely starting options in that area of the pitch set to be N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Kovacic.
The Croatia international, who was on the bench for his nation’s World Cup final loss to France, played a mostly substitute role at Real Madrid last term, which resulted in him asking to leave Los Blancos this summer.
But he will be expected to play a much bigger role for Chelsea this season as part of Sarri’s 4-3-3 formation.