Mateo Kovacic reveals transfer regret as he opens up on life under Pep Guardiola

Mateo Kovacic won four trophies, including the Champions League, during his tenure at Chelsea before joining Manchester City during the summer transfer window.

Mateo Kovacic laments not having been a part of Pep Guardiola’s undefeated Manchester City squad at an earlier stage in his career.

Kovacic, a midfielder, transferred from Chelsea to Real Madrid for £25 million in the summer, following prior seasons at Inter Milan, Dinamo Zagreb, and Real Madrid. The 29-year-old veteran has appeared in over 500 games throughout his career, but he stated that he feels like he is beginning anew under Guardiola, learning new techniques.

Furthermore, Kovacic disclosed that his only regret is not having joined Guardiola earlier in his career, when he could have had the opportunity to spend more time playing under the man who is widely considered the greatest coach in the world.

‌ “It’s amazing and tough because I’m learning a lot of new things and I would have loved to come at an earlier age to learn,” Kovacic commented. But acquiring knowledge is never too late. That is how I consider it. Therefore, it makes me glad that I can gain knowledge from him and his advice.

“I half wished someone had informed me of this a few years ago.” However, I can still learn, and it is abundantly clear that he is extraordinary. I have appreciated it tremendously since the very beginning. His directive of “go there, don’t move there” was initially difficult to comprehend for a few days.

“Consequently, I enjoy running frequently on the pitch at times: ‘Go there, go there’.” But he advised me to “remain more composed and refrain from running excessively.” It was therefore something of a pleasant surprise for me as well. The club is phenomenal, as is immediately apparent upon entering. “Both the inhabitants and the city itself are delightful.”

Kovacic was joined at City in the summer by Josko Gvardiol, a teammate from Croatia, who joined the Blues for £77.6 million from RB Leipzig. City’s acquisition of Gvardiol was a wise decision due to his versatility as a center-back or left-back; Kovacic is certain the 21-year-old will enjoy a prosperous career.

“I have one exceptionally talented individual in mind, and that could be the still-young Josko,” Kovacic explained. “In my opinion, he is capable of dominating European football.” Particularly in Croatia, he elevates center-backs to an entirely new level; although we have always been proficient when playing from the back, he possesses something extraordinary.

“The manner in which he enters the scene leads me to believe that he has the potential to appeal to the Croatian people,” said the individual. Especially those who are left-footed, I believe that they are always so unique.”

Croatia hopes to solidify their position at Euro 2024. They are presently ranked third in Group D and must surpass Wales in second place in order to qualify automatically for the tournament. The last two qualifiers for Croatia are scheduled for Tuesday against Armenia and Saturday against Latvia.