There is no question that Tottenham Hotspur need to buy a midfielder this summer. Mousa Dembele is reportedly on his way out of the club, Harry Winks’ injury history is concerning, and Moussa Sissoko just isn’t very good.

Mateo Kovacic is a midfielder, and transfer rumors have connected his name with Spurs quite a few times over the years. Nothing has ever developed on that front, but the Real Madrid man appears set for an exit this summer. AS is reporting that Tottenham are one of five teams who have reached out to Madrid regarding the Croatian’s services.

Mateo Kovacic has put himself on the market. The Real Madrid midfielder is after more game time and, given that he faces a tall order to see that wish fulfilled at the LaLiga giants, he has told Bernabéu chiefs that he wants to leave. With the player still firmly in Los Blancos’ plans, however, the club are likely to prove no pushovers in negotiations over the sale of a footballer who has three years left on his contract and a release clause of 300 million euros. Despite that obstacle, Kovacic is among Real’s most sought-after players this transfer window. What’s more, his desire to move on works in the favour of his suitors, some of whom have already made contact with his camp over a potential summer switch. As many as five clubs are thought to have come calling so far: Roma, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

AS are a Spanish tabloid, but they do have sources and they do break stories. Hopefully this is one of their reports that proves to have legs.

And yes, Kovacic does have a release clause of €300 million. That’s just because release clauses are required in Spain, and because Real Madrid don’t play around. Obviously he would cost significantly less than that.

Kovacic spoke recently about possibly leaving Madrid because of concerns with a lack of playing time. At 24-years-old he’s still a blossoming young player, but Kovacic only logged 989 minutes in La Liga last season.

The Croatian international would certainly be higher in the pecking order at Spurs than he has been in the Spanish capital. The Italian links make sense because he has previously played in Serie A with Inter Milan. Manchester United’s midfield is packed with talent, so it’s hard to imagine Kovacic sees that as a destination where he will get more playing time.

But at Tottenham he would fit in perfectly. He is an ideal candidate to replace the outgoing Dembele. No one is exactly like Mousa, but Kovacic does possess similar abilities to dribble and keep the ball even when under pressure. He would likely be at his best if partnered with a defensive midfielder like Victor Wanyama or Eric Dier. This would allow Kovacic to spend more time contributing to the attacking buildup, which is where his game thrives.

It’s not even close to being done yet, and Spurs will face stiff competition to secure his signature, but if Mateo Kovacic comes to North London then that is a tremendous statement of intent from Tottenham in this summer transfer window.