The Croatian international joined from Chelsea this summer and is currently on our pre-season tour of Asia less than two weeks after first reporting to the CFA.
He joins a side that has won the Premier League in each of the last three seasons and claimed a historic European Treble last season.
HOW TO FOLLOW CITY’S 2023 ASIA TOUR
We will complete our tour with a friendly against Atletico Madrid in South Korean capital Seoul on Sunday.
It will be available to watch live on CITY+ and Recast globally while fans in South Korea can watch on Coupang Play.
Ahead of that match, the four-time Champions League winners stated that it hasn’t taken him long to see what it is about City that has set us apart from the competition.
“I knew the team had a lot of quality and playing against them was never easy - it was always tough,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
“They keep the ball so well and put pressure on you. Now I am here I can see why. The intensity is so high and everyone is so professional and doing their best on the pitch.
“You can see why they have been successful in recent years. The whole club is just amazing and it’s a pleasure to be part of it and I’m looking forward to having a good season.”
Kovacic is City’s only summer signing so far.
Since last month’s Champions League final, captain and fellow central midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has left the Club.
However, Kovacic insists he is focusing on his own game rather than on being a direct replacement for the German international.
“It is a pleasure a club like Manchester City wants you and signs you. It’s huge privilege for me,” he said.
“Ilkay left, the captain of the club and who had huge success but I need to do my own role.
“I want to be fit, do my best and be ready as soon as possible to have great games for this club.”
City will be looking to end the tour with three victories from three games after beating Yokohama F. Marinos and Bayern Munich in Tokyo.
Intense heat and humidity in South Korea has affected training, but Kovacic, who has started both games so far, believes City should not allow that to affect performance.
“It was tough,” he said when asked about training in Seoul.
“It is really hot but [there are] no excuses, we like to train and we like to work.”
“Nothing changes for tomorrow - we will try to give our best, even though it is tough conditions. We are looking forward to tomorrow.”
WATCH OUR ASIA TOUR MATCHES ON CITY+ OR RECAST
CITY+ and Recast will exclusively show all pre-season tour games live in the UK.
We face Atletico Madrid on Sunday, 30 July, with fans all over the world (except South Korea) able to watch the action.
CITY+ is also where you will find the entire catalogue of City Studios documentaries and vodcasts.
Watchable through our official website or app*, CITY+ is available via an annual subscription of £34.99 a year, saving you £24 on our monthly offering.
Choose monthly and pay £4.99 a month with the option to cancel anytime.
Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members can subscribe annually for £30 a year, a saving of £29.
Alternatively, you can join us on Recast for a flexible, pay-per-view option on all the same exciting content found on CITY+.
Simply follow our official channel and pay for the matches, documentaries, full-match replays and vodcasts you want to see.
*Tour matches will not be available to watch on our TV app due to regional restrictions
