Chelsea keen on signing Real Madrid midfielder

Chelsea will reportedly lodge an attempt to sign Real Madrid's Mateo Kovacic, should they fail in their pursuit of Aaron Ramsey from league rivals Arsenal.

The Blues have recently been linked with a move for Ramsey as negotiations between the Welshman and the Gunners over a new contract continue to drag into the new campaign.

Despite this, the Gunners may not be keen on losing Ramsey to a direct league competitor and The Daily Mail claims that the Blues have an alternative in Kovacic in mind.

As per the publication, Kovacic has the attributes to tick the boxes under Maurizio Sarri and a possible approach could be enhanced by the fact that the midfielder is pushing for a Bernabeu exit.

Premier League champions Manchester City have also been credited with an interest in the former Inter Milan man after witnessing Chelsea beat them to the services of prior target Jorginho.