Chelsea have completed the signing of Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic, whilst Thibault Courtois has sealed a switch in the opposite direction.

The Croatia midfielder has joined the Blues on a season-long loan deal with the goalkeeper agreeing to a permanent switch.

Kovacic became the third signing of the summer following Jorginho and Rob Green, however, he was quickly followed by Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao for a world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper.

The 24-year-old would not initially have been in Maurizio Sarri’s plans as a possible transfer target this summer, however, he should prove to be a useful player for the upcoming campaign.

Kovacic has been highly-regarded in the game since his teenage years when he first completed a move to Inter Milan at 18.

He found his time with the Serie A outfit difficult and was in and out of the side until he sealed a move to Real Madrid, however, once again he struggled to break into the first-team, leading to him making the decision to leave.

Kovacic looked for a move

He made his feelings known at Madrid that he did not want to play for them this year and is believed to have been used by the Spanish giants to get a move for Courtois over the line.

The shot-stopper is thought to have been keen on a move back to the Spanish capital, as his family still leave there following the time he spent on loan at Atletico Madrid.

The Belgium international failed to report to training on a number of occasions as he looked to force a move to Los Blancos.

It is believed a fee of around £35 million plus Kovacic was enough to let the Blues part with their wantaway 'keeper.

Chelsea will be looking to get back into the Champions League after failing to qualify for the tournament last season and Kovacic could prove vital in their efforts.

It remains to be seen if Courtois will be a huge loss to the club, with many still considering him to be one of the best goalkeeper’s in football, however, the Blues will be confident that Kepa can replace him and make his own way to the top.

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