Chelsea make Kovacic's loan move permanent

Chelsea announced Monday the permanent signing of Mateo Kovacic, confirming the Croatian midfielder will remain at Stamford Bridge after he spent last season on loan with the club.

Still awaiting word from the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding the appeal of their transfer ban, the Blues paid Real Madrid £40 million to secure the services of the 25-year-old, according to Simon Stone of BBC Sport.

"The club wishes to thank Kovacic for his commitment, professionalism, and the exemplary behavior he has displayed over the course of these years, whilst wishing him all the very best in this new chapter," read a statement from the Spanish side.

Because the reigning Europa League champions had already registered Kovacic for his loan spell, they were able to then sign him permanently without breaching their two-window ban, which was imposed by FIFA in February and then upheld in May.

The talented dribbler made 32 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season, often getting the nod as the most advanced of Maurizio Sarri's three midfielders.

With Ruben Loftus-Cheek slated to miss an extended period of the upcoming campaign recovering from a torn Achilles, Kovacic figures to remain an integral contributor under impending manager Frank Lampard.