CONFIRMED: Inter coach Roberto Mancini confirms Mateo Kovacic's departure

Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini confirmed what wasn't much of a secret already. The Italian club are going to sell Mateo Kovacic and Real Madrid will land the Croatian player this week.

"We are all disappointed about Kovacic's departure. What can we do? There are rules we must respect, the Financial Fair Play is there and we must respect UEFA's rules," said the manager.

While it's true that Mancini does not mention Real Madrid there, the deal for Kovacic is all but done. Liverpool were interest in the midfielder as well but Real's offer is much better.

Kovacic is expected to confirm his signing for Real Madrid early this week and he could even feature in Madrid's opener against Sporting Gijón next Sunday if Benítez decides to include him on the list. Although he will likely be a reserve this season, Kovacic will definitely learn a lot from Modric and Toni Kroos as he develops his game.