Chelsea have committed a transfer blunder by accidentally announcing the signing of Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid on their mobile app before the deal has officially been completed.
The Blues reportedly agreed a £45m deal to sign the Croatian playmaker on Thursday and they are allowed to buy him despite being banned by FIFA from making any new signings over the next two transfer windows as he was registered with the club last season.
Due to the impending ban, Chelsea had to complete the permanent signing of Kovacic by June 30 and although the club hasn’t officially confirmed the deal, they let slip that he has indeed joined by posting an interview with him on the club’s ‘The 5th Stand’ app.
The first line of an interview with Kovacic entitled ‘My Footballing firsts’ reads: ‘After securing a permanent switch to Stamford Bridge following a successful loan spell at Chelsea from Real Madrid, we caught up with Mateo Kovacic…’
There are then quotes from Kovacic himself which say: ‘It was an amazing feeling to sign for Chelsea, first on loan and now permanently.
‘It is a fantastic club, with great team-mates and we play a good style of football.’
The 25-year-old appears set to be prospective new manager Frank Lampard’s first and only signing for Chelsea during the summer transfer window as he is unable to purchase anyone else until this time next year.
Chelsea have appealed FIFA’s decision to hand them a 12-month transfer ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but it appears unlikely that the decision will be reversed at this stage.
Kovacic joined Chelsea on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day last August and he featured prominently under former manager Maurizio Sarri, making 51 appearances in all competitions.
The former Dinamo Zagreb and Inter Milan enjoyed mixed fortunes at Stamford Bridge, failing to score a single goal for the club, but a lengthy injury to Ruben Loftus-Cheek has perhaps played a part in Chelsea’s decision to sign him.
