Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic will “respect” his contract at Real Madrid, but “can imagine” he will remain at Chelsea beyond the current season.

It is believed that the London-based club are interested in converting the Croat’s loan deal to a permanent one and the player is inclined towards the same.

Kovacic has featured in 23 games for Chelsea this season and rivals Tottenham are reportedly monitoring his situation too.

“I need to respect my previous club, Real Madrid,” Kovacic said, as cited by ESPN.

“I can imagine myself staying here, but I have a contract I need to respect, and that is what I will do.”

Madrid acquired the former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder’s signature from Italian giants Inter Milan in 2015 for €30 million and are said to want a significantly higher sum in the event of a permanent departure.

The midfielder started only 37 La Liga games across three seasons for Los Blancos, with only 10 of those coming last season.