One of the biggest ‘what if’ signings in the modern era at Chelsea would be the potential signing of Luka Modric to add to their midfield.
The Blues were strongly linked with the addition of Modric around the time that he made his move to Real Madrid from Tottenham.
The deal would have coincided nicely around the time Frank Lampard’s playing time at Stamford Bridge was coming to an end.
Romeo Lavia’s injury record could force Chelsea to sign a new midfielder in 2026. Who would you buy if Kobbie Mainoo isn’t available?
Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton have both been mentioned 👀
Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia preparing a pass and Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo jogging
Credit: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport/Catherine Ivill – AMA via Getty Images
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
It wouldn’t be long though before the Blues did bring in a different Croatian midfielder, with Mateo Kovacic joining the club in 2018.
AC Milan Departs For Riyadh
Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images
Luka Modric was gutted when Chelsea signed Mateo Kovacic
He had been struggling for minutes in Madrid behind the likes of Modric, and ended up being a very handy midfielder at Stamford Bridge for a number of seasons.
His international teammate was gutted that he left though, and he told (Ne)uspjeh Prvaka that he thought Madrid were losing an ‘outstanding player’.
He said: “Mateo wanted to play. He wanted to play, even though, in my opinion, he played a lot. In that period at Real, he was, in my view, one of the best players, although he may disagree. Even if he wasn’t the main protagonist the whole time, he played outstanding matches and was very important.
“He wanted to be the protagonist, to be on the pitch constantly, the way Toni, Casemiro and I were, but he still played phenomenal football.
“It was hard for me when he left because Mateo is someone truly special to me. From the very beginning, from the moment he came to the national team, we created an exceptional relationship, a chemistry that lasts to this day, even after he left Real.
“At Real, we became even closer, but often when someone leaves, paths naturally separate. With him, it became even stronger. Even stronger, actually. So it’s not just a friendship, but also a bond through family ties, and because of that, you miss all those players who left at certain moments.”
Leicester City v Chelsea FC - Premier League
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Kovacic still proving handy for Manchester City
Chelsea decided to move on from Kovacic in the summer of 2023, as Todd Boehly and co looked to create a side that matched their aims after taking over the club.
The midfield now consists of the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who the club would love to have a prolonged future at Stamford Bridge.
The Croatian has still shown signs that he is a quality operator since leaving, currently at Manchester City.
In fact, Enzo Maresca’s first game in charge of the club was a 2-0 defeat to City, where Kovacic scored a stunning goal from range.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox