Real Madrid demand £80m for Manchester United and City target Mateo Kovacic
With Casemiro proving a hard obstacle to dislodge from the Los Blancos midfield, Kovacic might choose to move on this summer
REAL MADRID could be willing to sell midfielder Mateo Kovacic - but only for a whopping £80million.
Manchester United and their city rivals are both believed to have shortlisted the 24-year-old for a transfer this summer.
But Kovacic, who is part of the Croatian World Cup squad that reached the World Cup final, won't be allowed to leave on the cheap.
According to the Daily Star Sunday, Los Blanco would ask for £80m before negotiations even start.
Manchester City are set to rival fierce rivals United now for the signing, after they missed out to Chelsea for Jorginho.
The midfielder, 26, has penned a five-year Stamford Bridge deal worth up to £57.4million and is their first summer signing, from Napoli.
SunSport revealed last month how Kovacic sensationally revealed he wanted to LEAVE Real Madrid.
The Croatia midfielder used the front page of Spanish newspaper Marca to tell the world he wants out.
Kovacic failed to nail down a starting spot under former boss Zinedine Zidane but has attracted interest from the Premier League heavyweights.
And he says his desire for regular first-team football lies behind his shock decision.
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Kovacic, who has won the Champions League three times with Los Blancos, said: "I want to play more and the best thing is to leave Madrid.
"I love football and being on the pitch, I want the opportunity to be a starter for another team.
"I think that in Real Madrid all the players are important.
"The problem is that for a young player it is difficult to have continuity and without that continuity I will never be able to show my potential.
"When I do not play, I am not happy.
"These three years in Madrid, with some incredible team-mates, winning trophies... but I have not been completely happy because my contribution to all that has not been the maximum and it's something I want to change.
"I've been in Madrid for three years and I have not played too much and that's something that has affected my status in the national team.
"It's something that does not make me happy, that's why it's best to change teams."