Recent Man City signing in exit risk already after UCL coach demands January transfer attempt

Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has become a January target for Galatasaray, according to reports in Turkey.

Kovacic only joined Man City in the summer, when Chelsea decided to sell him rather than let him enter the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

There was a vacancy in the Man City midfield after Ilkay Gundogan’s free transfer to Barcelona and an injury to Kevin De Bruyne, which Kovacic came in to fill.

So far, the Croatia international has made 15 appearances for his new club, starting six Premier League matches (which is less than half of the amount they have had).

In a surprising development, TV100 has now addressed the topic of Kovacic possibly leaving Man City in the next transfer window.

According to the Turkish outlet, Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has asked his club to try and sign Kovacic in January.

The deal would have to be a loan, which would be unexpected but not impossible for a player under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2027.

One of the reasons Galatasaray are interested in adding to their midfield is that they have been underwhelmed by Tanguy Ndombele since taking him on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

To give themselves the best chance of success in the second half of the season, when they will hope to have progressed to the Champions League knockout stage, Galatasaray could be in the market for someone more reliable in the middle.

Formerly of Dinamo Zagreb, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Kovacic has an abundance of top-level experience, which could come in handy.

Kovacic likely to stay at Man City

But after Man City invested an initial £25m to sign him just a few months ago, the chances of them letting him leave in January seem slim – especially when De Bruyne is still battling for his fitness.

That said, Pep Guardiola has been known to never stand in the way of unhappy players, but there is nothing to suggest Kovacic has not bought into his project just yet.

Besides, other than what might become a better proportion of gametime, there is not much Super Lig champions Galatasaray can offer that Man City cannot.

It therefore should be expected that Kovacic will complete his sixth season in the Premier League and first with Man City.

READ MORE: ‘Who’s buying him?’ – Man City warned they may struggle to sell deceiving star who’s becoming ‘predictable’