Chelsea will not stop star player from leaving club this summer amid transfer links to Liverpool - Reports

Chelsea will reportedly not stop Liverpool target Mateo Kovacic from leaving the club this summer.

As per the Evening Standard (h/t HITC), the Blues don't plan on offering him a contract extension and could cash in on him this summer. His current deal expires at the end of next season when he could be able to leave as a free agent.

Chelsea are also eager to trim their squad and balance the books after their spending spree under Todd Boehly. The west London giants spent upwards of £500 million in two transfer windows combined to sign a total of 18 players.

According to 90min, Liverpool are poised to hold talks with the 28-year-old's representatives. He has featured in 33 games across competitions, wearing the captain's armband thrice.

Chelsea have shown that they are not averse to letting a player join a direct Premier League rival under Boehly's ownership. Jorginho was allowed to swap Stamford Bridge for the Emirates for a £12 million fee in January.

The Croatia international will know that he will get opportunities at Liverpool if he were to join them this summer. The Reds are in desperate need of a midfield revamp, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita on contracts that expire this summer.

Klopp will do well to freshen up his midfield with Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara (both 32) into their 30s. Kovacic can also double up as a No. 6 and provide much-needed competition to Fabinho, who has been inconsistent this season.

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How Liverpool target Mateo Kovacic reacted to Frank Lampard's appointment as Chelsea's caretaker boss

Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on April 2, with Bruno Saltor temporarily taking over the reins for their 0-0 league draw against Liverpool two days later.

Todd Boehly and Co. took the decision to bring in a known face to manage the club before they can hire a permanent head coach. Frank Lampard was re-appointed at Stamford Bridge more than two years after he was sacked by Roman Abramovich in January 2021.

Mateo Kovacic became the first Chelsea player to publicly voice his opinion on the 44-year-old's appointment. He told Sky Sports earlier this month, via the Mirror:

"We know him, he was our coach so it's good news that he's back and trying to change our season because it's not been good, we have to be honest."

Lampard was appointed as the club's permanent coach just a few days after Kovacic's transfer from Real Madrid was made permanent on July 1, 2019. He managed an impressive fourth-place finish in his first season as the club's boss.

His second managerial stint has started off horribly, with Lampard losing his first four games in charge across competitions.