The Croatian midfielder - and skipper of his national team - is our first signing of the 2023 summer transfer window after joining City from Chelsea.
He has penned a four-year deal and now just wants to get on with playing for his new club.
“It feels amazing,” said Kovacic, who has also played for Dinamo Zagreb, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.
“All the people here have made me feel welcome, so I feel already part of it.
“It’s very nice to be at such a big club - a club that has won a lot in the recent years and I can’t wait to get started.
“I am joining the current Champions League winners and Premier League winners, so it’s an amazing team with amazing players, a great coach and I can see from the first impressions when I arrived that it’s a huge club and it’s truly a pleasure to be part of it.
“I am really excited to play with such big players - players who have won a lot during their careers, so it is a huge excitement for me.”
Kovacic admits he doesn’t know any of the City players personally – other than playing against the Blues for Chelsea and Real Madrid – but he is looking forward to getting to know everyone much better in the coming months.
He also can’t wait to play under Pep Guardiola – and admits the Catalan boss is a major draw for any footballer.
“I came here to this great club with an amazing manager to learn and to improve my understanding of football and to try to be the best version of myself, so it was a huge part, of course,” he said.
“It’s a huge pleasure to be here and to try to improve and learn.
“Always when I watch City, it’s a pleasure to see how they play. It’s so tough to play against them!
“It’s probably the worst opponent to play against because they have amazing skills on the ball and how they play, it’s just beautiful to watch.
“I am now a part of it, and I can’t wait to improve and give my best to play under their style.
“I think there is always room for improvement and when you are in such an amazing squad that tends to have the ball a lot and to play and keep the ball all the time, you can improve a lot.
“So, that’s my aim – to improve, to learn and win, obviously, trophies with City.”
Competition for places has always been a key ingredient in City’s many successes over the past decade or so.
Kovacic knows there is no such thing as a guaranteed starter under Guardiola, and he is relishing the challenge of competing with his team-mates for the benefit of the team.
“I think it’s normal,” he said.
“It will be a privilege to play with these midfielders, some of the best in the world.
“I played against Rodrigo - an amazing player - De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva…
“It’s a pleasure to be here and to have the opportunity to play with them, so I can’t wait to try to do my best with them on the pitch.
“I feel on the left side of the midfield (is probably my best position). But in the end, it’s always the manager who decides where do you play, and I think I am quite flexible - but for sure he will tell me what he wants from me, and this is what I want to learn and to improve my skills to be a better player.
“I think City is the best club in Europe at this time. When I heard they wanted me, it was a huge recognition for my game and a huge pleasure that such a big club wants you and, as soon as I heard it, of course to play under Pep Guardiola and with this great team there was no doubt for me that if it was possible, I would like to be here.
“To play 38 games in the Premier League is not easy and City have done it in the last years in an incredible way so this is a trophy I would obviously like to win but, for me now first, it’s about enjoying this great moment with my family and then be ready for a great pre-season.
“This team knows how to win, they’ve won a lot in the recent years, so I just want to put myself in there and have the same mentality to try to improve every day and in the end to win titles.
“I can’t wait to start because it’s a new challenge for me, new excitement so I just want to be ready, to start with the boys, get to know them, integrate myself with them, keep winning games and try my best.”
