Chelsea
have signed midfielder Mateo Kovacic on a five-year deal from Real Madrid.
The Blues have been permitted to sign the Croatian midfielder despite their
transfer ban because he was still registered to the club until the end of
June following his loan spell.
"I really enjoyed my season on loan with Chelsea, I feel comfortable at the
club and like London and the Premier League very much. I am very happy to be
able to join permanently," Kovacic said.
"We had a successful year, winning the Europa League and I hope I can make a
big contribution in the coming seasons."
Kovacic's loan spell at Stamford Bridge expired on June 30 so the London
club needed to finalise the permanent deal before then.
It is understood Chelsea agreed a fee of 45 million euros (£40.25m) with
Real.
A Real statement read: "The club wants to thank Kovacic for all these years
of dedication, professionalism and exemplary behaviour, and wishes him good
luck in his new stage."
Kovacic was a key member of the Europa League winning squad and the
25-year-old also made 32 appearances in the Premier League.
The serious injury suffered by Ruben Loftus-Cheek at the end of last season
meant Chelsea would have been short of options in midfield if Kovacic had
not been retained.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: "Mateo proved what an
accomplished player he is during his season on loan with us and we are
delighted to welcome him to the club on a permanent basis.
"He already possesses extensive experience at club and international level
and we are sure he will be a big success with Chelsea over the next five
years."
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