Mateo Kovacic Ready to Fight for His Place at Manchester City
Mateo Kovacic does not sound like a man clinging to his place at Manchester City. He sounds like one ready to fight for it.
In a summer dominated by big fees and bigger statements, City’s latest move still managed to turn heads. Anderson, the 23-year-old midfielder who played every single Premier League game for Nottingham Forest last season, has arrived for a staggering £116 million. For a club already stacked with technical quality, this is a signing that screams evolution, not maintenance, under Enzo Maresca.
Kovacic has seen enough in training – and on tape – to understand exactly what City have bought.
“I think a lot of quality, a lot of physicality because he has shown that he is capable of running a lot, being good on the ball, being good off the ball,” the Croatian said. “He is young, so he can improve a lot still at City, and I think it's a great signing for us.”
That last word matters: “us.” Because City’s midfield is heading into the new season with a sizeable hole.
Life without Rodri – for now
Rodri, the metronome of this City side and the player they trust most when the ball is hot and the stakes are higher, is recovering from back surgery. He is not expected to feature in the opening weeks. For any other club, that’s a crisis. For City, it’s a test of depth, structure, and nerve.
There is also the noise. Rodri has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, a storyline that refuses to disappear and only adds intrigue to his absence.
Into that gap steps Kovacic, who played 45 minutes in a recent friendly against Inter and knows exactly what Maresca will ask of him. He has operated both with and without Rodri in the side and understands the responsibility that comes with anchoring City’s midfield.
“I've played together with Rodri and without him as well,” he said. “So with him not being here now I can of course fill that spot, but let's see when he comes back.”
No drama. No grandstanding. Just a quiet confidence that he can carry the load until the Spaniard returns – or until the situation around Rodri becomes clearer.
Anderson’s arrival and a new midfield arms race
Anderson’s fee underlines more than City’s financial muscle. It reflects the reality of the modern Premier League midfield, where power, technique, and tactical intelligence are now the minimum entry requirements.
Kovacic, who has played in Spain and Italy as well as England, is convinced there is no competition when it comes to the strength of the league.
“I think it is the best league and the best players are here,” he said. “There are some amazing midfielders. Newcastle's Bruno [Guimaraes], Aston Villa have many good midfielders. United are now bringing midfielders. So I think every club has some great midfielders.”
That list is not accidental. Bruno Guimaraes, Aston Villa’s dynamic core, Manchester United’s latest rebuild in the middle – everywhere you look, clubs are stockpiling midfielders with big price tags and even bigger responsibilities. Anderson now joins that group, arriving at a club where the standards are unforgiving and the expectations relentless.
For City, his signing is not just about the present. It is about what comes after Rodri, after Kevin De Bruyne, after this current cycle of dominance. Maresca wants a squad that can morph without losing its identity. Anderson’s durability – 38 league games last season – and blend of physicality and composure fit that plan.
Kovacic, the doubts, and the answer from inside the building
While City have been busy adding, Kovacic has had to live with the other side of the transfer window: whispers about exits.
Juventus have been mentioned. So have Inter, the club where he made his name in Italy. At 32 and heading into the final year of his contract, with no extension agreed and only nine appearances last season because of Achilles and ankle problems, the narrative almost wrote itself: fading influence, expendable squad player, time to move on.
Kovacic does not recognise that version of events.
He insists the messages from inside City have been clear, and they have not involved the door.
“I didn't feel the question marks from them. I spoke with them, it was that they count on me, which was important for me to hear that from them,” he said.
That line – “they count on me” – is as revealing as anything. It explains the way he talks about Anderson’s arrival, not as a threat, but as reinforcement. It explains his willingness to step into Rodri’s role if required. It explains why, despite the injuries and the speculation, he still speaks like a player who expects to matter when the season starts.
City’s midfield is changing shape. A £116 million newcomer, a recovering linchpin, a veteran fighting to reassert his influence. Maresca will soon have to decide how all those pieces fit.
Kovacic clearly believes he knows where he belongs in that puzzle. The coming weeks will show whether the pitch agrees with him.
