Barcelona eyeing move for Real Madrid midfielder

Barcelona are reportedly eyeing a shock approach for Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic ahead of this summer's transfer window.

The 23-year-old joined the European champions from Inter Milan in the summer of 2015, and has since racked 73 appearances across all competitions for the club.

Despite this, Kovacic has had restricted playing time in La Liga with just 19 starts last term, and this has urged him to assess his Bernabeu future.

According to Don Balon, new Barca boss Ernesto Valverde is a firm believer of the player's talents, and he could lodge a potential offer for his services ahead of the 2017/18 season.

Kovacic, who began his career with Croatian heavyweights Dinamo Zagreb, celebrated a La Liga and Champions League double with Real Madrid last season.

He is currently behind the likes of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the pecking order, and a move to Barcelona could encourage his chances of earning a regular starting role.

Andre Gomes has not quite established himself at the heart of the Catalan midfield, and this appears to have accelerated Barcelona's pursuit of a new central midfielder.