Monday 1 July 2019 18:26, UK
Chelsea have signed midfielder Mateo Kovacic on a five-year deal from Real Madrid.
The Blues have been permitted to sign the Croatian midfielder despite their transfer ban because he was still registered to the club until the end of June following his loan spell.
"I really enjoyed my season on loan with Chelsea, I feel comfortable at the club and like London and the Premier League very much. I am very happy to be able to join permanently," Kovacic said.
Listen to the latest episode of the Transfer Talk podcast HERE
"We had a successful year, winning the Europa League and I hope I can make a big contribution in the coming seasons."
Kovacic's loan spell at Stamford Bridge expired on June 30 so the London club needed to finalise the permanent deal before then.
It is understood Chelsea agreed a fee of 45 million euros (£40.25m) with Real.
A Real statement read: "The club wants to thank Kovacic for all these years of dedication, professionalism and exemplary behaviour, and wishes him good luck in his new stage."
Kovacic was a key member of the Europa League winning squad and the 25-year-old also made 32 appearances in the Premier League.
The serious injury suffered by Ruben Loftus-Cheek at the end of last season meant Chelsea would have been short of options in midfield if Kovacic had not been retained.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: "Mateo proved what an accomplished player he is during his season on loan with us and we are delighted to welcome him to the club on a permanent basis.
"He already possesses extensive experience at club and international level and we are sure he will be a big success with Chelsea over the next five years."
As well as keeping an eye on Sky Sports News, make sure you don't miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
There's also the return of the Transfer Talk Podcast, the daily UK, Regional and European Paper Talk, plus features across skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
