Jose Mourinho is reportedly working on a transfer for Nemanja Matic. The Portuguese gaffer is willing to shell as much as £35m for the defensive midfielder. Manchester United were after Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier but the unwillingness of the North London club has made Mourinho rethink and now it is understood that the gaffer is considering to rope in one of his former trusted employees.
Chelsea lifted their Premier League trophy on the final day of the season as the Blues won their second title in three years. Antonio Conte has used the Serbian midfielder in almost every game of this season alongside N’Golo Kante and Matic has engineered the midfield with his valuable experience and vision of the game. The Serbian anchorman still has two years left on his contract and although new terms haven’t been offered, Conte would be very keen to keep the core of this title winning team. The Italian lately played Cesc Fabregas in a few games but the Spaniard is defensively very feeble which sometimes could be very vulnerable.
Mourinho recalled Matic from Monaco and signed him in his second spell with Chelsea. The Serbian went on to win his second Premier League title with the current United manager. United were considered to be in the front seat to land Dier from Spurs but their chairman Daniel Levy is a tough nut to crack. United had reportedly had a £50m bid turned down by them in January and the club hierarchy doesn’t want to spend so much of money and Matic seems to be a realistic target. Conte is set to make some signings to bring some more sought after midfielders to the Stamford Bridge as they will be flagging off in the Champions League next season.
United current have only Michael Carrick in that position but the English midfielder will be turning 36 in July and this might be his last season with the Red Devils. Mourinho has been demanding a dominating figure in the middle of the park who could just sit deep to give an extra layer of protection to the back four. Ander Herrera could be an option but Mourinho wants to add some more names and Matic fits the bill. The Serbian had played under his guidance and knows his playing style very well. But it needs to be seen whether the West London club are ready to sell him or keep him.
