Mateo Kovacic categorically rules out a move to English Premier League side Liverpool – ‘I want to win with Inter’.
The playmaker has been linked with a €30m move to Anfield, as the Reds have money to burn following the €71m sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City.
The Croatian international, however, is adamant that he’ll stay at San Siro for the long-haul.
“The club have never said they want to sell me,” Kovacic told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Mateo Kovacic categorically rules out a move to English Premier League side Liverpool – ‘I want to win with Inter’.
The playmaker has been linked with a €30m move to Anfield, as the Reds have money to burn following the €71m sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City.
The Croatian international, however, is adamant that he’ll stay at San Siro for the long-haul.
“The club have never said they want to sell me,” Kovacic told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Never. I’ll stay here. I won’t move. That’s what I wanted, that’s what my renewal until 2019 shows, there will be a long relationship between myself and Inter.
“I want to show that I deserve Inter. I want to win with this shirt. Inter is like Real [Madrid] or Barcelona.
“Could I replace Sterling? We have two different roles. It’s not for me to say whether there have been any offers from the Reds or not, hopefully that’s down to my agent.
“That said, I’ll repeat myself – I. Want. To. Be. Here.”
The Nerazzurri have been tracking Kovacic’s international teammate, Ivan Perisic of Wolfsburg, and the 21-year-old believes he’d be a good signing.
“He’s the most talented Croatian player. He uses both his left and right foot, and if you play with him you’re lucky, because he can do anything – winger, second striker, he’s even been tried as an out-and-out striker.
“Then he’s got a hard shot, he’s fast… he’s very good. He might help us even more.”
Roberto Mancini has in the past criticised Kovacic’s consistency, warning he needs to play at his best for 30 games a season.
“If you always play then it helps you to be more consistent,” Kovacic replied.
“I have to earn my place, but it helps to play a lot. More should be expected from me, and the others, we all have the same importance.
“For me maybe that means continuity of performance, but it’s not easy to show that in the occasional games where I’m on the bench.
“[Croatia manager Niko] Kovac says I have to play, at Liverpool or Inter? He’s right – and I want to do it at Inter.”