Mateo Kovacic has revealed how he sought the advice of his Croatian and Real Madrid team-mate, Luka Modric, before sealing a loan move to Chelsea for the upcoming season.
Kovacic has signed for Chelsea on a season-long loan but there is no option to buy, with Real Madrid looking for the midfielder to return to them next year.
The midfielder has developed a strong friendship with Modric since joining Real Madrid in 2015 and admits he spoke to the former Tottenham player before deciding to move to Stamford Bridge.
‘I speak to Luka always. He is, of course, happy for me. He is sad that I am leaving because we are very close there but he told me that London is an amazing city,’ Kovacic told the Evening Standard.
‘He said the Premier League will be tough in the beginning but he said it is a nice League, the stadiums are always full and I will enjoy it.
‘I haven’t trained a lot at Real Madrid because I badly wanted to come to Chelsea so I didn’t do much training. I will give my best to be ready.’
Kovacic is one of two midfielders signed under new head coach, Maurizio Sarri, who brought Jorginho with him from Napoli.
‘I am excited to play with him (Jorginho) and I think we will enjoy ourselves together on the pitch. But there is a coach who needs to decide. I need to do my best to prove myself.’
Despite only moving to Chelsea for the year, Kovacic is determined to have success during his loan spell.
When asked if it will be harder to win trophies with Chelsea than Real Madrid, he said: ‘For sure, but this team has won a lot in the last years. I am joining a team that is winning all the time.’