Kovacic: Man City still count on me despite exit talk

Mateo Kovacic says Manchester City have made clear they still count on him, even as the midfielder heads into the final year of his contract with reported interest from Serie A. Reports have linked Juventus and former club Inter with a move to bring the Croatia international back to Italy. No new deal has been put on the table at the Etihad, where the 32-year-old managed just nine appearances last season because of Achilles and ankle injuries. New coach Enzo Maresca was far from reassuring when asked about Kovacic after Saturday's friendly against Inter. "Mateo is our player, until the day he is here I will try all my best," Maresca said. "It is my duty to try to help players give their best. If he is here I am happy and we will continue to work with him." Kovacic, though, says he never got the impression his future was in doubt. "I didn't feel the question marks from them," he said. "I spoke with them, it was that they count on me, which was important for me to hear from them. And now, like I said, for the players it's always on you to show your best version, because if you are playing good, the manager will put you first." The midfield picture at City could open up early this season. Spain World Cup-winning midfielder Rodri is not expected to be ready for the start of the campaign after undergoing back surgery, and Kovacic got 45 minutes in the Inter friendly as an option to fill that role. Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez and new club-record signing Elliot Anderson are also pushing for a place in the middle. Anderson has not yet joined up with his new teammates, with City giving him extra time off after England's run to the World Cup semifinals. The 23-year-old moved from Nottingham Forest for £116m after becoming one of their key players and playing all 38 Premier League games last season. "I think a lot of quality, a lot of physicality," Kovacic said of Anderson. "He has shown that he is capable of running a lot, being good on the ball, being good off the ball. He is young, so he can improve a lot still at City, and I think it's a great signing for us." Kovacic also pointed to recent spending on central midfielders across the Premier League. Chelsea paid £115m for Moises Caicedo and £106m for Enzo Fernandez, while Arsenal spent £100m on Declan Rice. "It is the best league and the best players are here," he added. "There are some amazing midfielders. Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes, Aston Villa have many good midfielders. United are now bringing in midfielders. So I think every club has some great midfielders."