Real Madrid have rejected a £22million offer from Tottenham Hotspur for central midfielder Mateo Kovacic, according to a recent report in AS.
The Spanish media outlet has revealed that Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been the first club to officially contact Madrid with the hope of signing the 23-year-old.
AS claims that the north London club recently submitted the bid for the Croatia international, but the La Liga side rejected the offer as boss Zinedine Zidane is not willing to let the midfielder leave this summer.
It is said that Tottenham face competition from Kovacic’s former club Inter Milan in addition to rivals Milan and fellow Serie A outfit Naples.
Intriguingly, it is reported that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to build his team around the Croatian midfield kingpin.
Kovacic joined the Spanish giants from Inter Milan back in 2015 for a fee over £26 million, and has since made an impact at the La Liga club.
Last season, the Croatian made a total of 39 appearances across all competitions where he scored two goals and provided three assists, and it is thought that his manager is reluctant to let him depart from the Bernabeu because of his contribution.
Pochettino will be eager to recruit the midfielder this summer in order to bolster the squad’s attacking prowess ready for the club’s campaign in both the Premier League and Champions League competitions.
Tottenham are yet to make any signings during the current transfer window but have seen the departure of star right-back, Kyle Walker, who moved to Manchester City for nearly £45 million.