Real Madrid are on the verge of signing Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

The Croatian international had been linked with a move to Premier League club Liverpool all summer long, with the Telegraph earlier reporting that coach Brendan Rodgers had relaunched their attempts at signing the player with a bid around the €25 million mark.

However, reports suggest that Madrid have beaten the Anfield outfit to the 21-year-old playmaker, with Gazzetta dello Sport alleging that the Bernabeu club have all but confirmed the signing of the player with a fee believed to be worth upwards of €30 million.

Kovacic is said to be extremely interested in a move to the Spanish giants, and his signing will be made official once contract negotiations have been concluded.

The midfielder’s move to Los Blancos could, inversely, prompt Roberto Mancini to buy left-back Fabio Coentrao from Madrid, who is rated highly by the 50-year-old coach.

Kovacic has made 80 Serie A appearances since his debut for the Nerrazzuri back in 2013, and has scored on five occasions.