Mateo Kovacic has put Manchester United and Tottenham on alert by declaring he wants to leave Real Madrid this summer.
Both Manchester United and Tottenham have both been linked with wanting to sign new midfielders this summer, and Kovacic has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
The Croatia international midfielder has now made a very clear statement that he is ‘not happy’ at the Bernabeu after failing to regularly break into Los Blancos starting line up since moving from Inter Milan in 2015.
Speaking to Marca, Kovacic 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 on 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.”
The 24-year-old is currently on International duty at the World Cup with Croatia, who stunned Argentina earlier this week when they secured a famous 3-0 victory over Lionel Messi and company.
Kovacic has a release clause of £44 million in his contract with Real.