Nemanja Matic is closing in on a move to Manchester United as the Chelsea midfielder is going to be Jose Mourinho’s second signing of this summer. The Portuguese gaffer is adamant to have the player at the Old Trafford and is ready to pay Chelsea £40m for the Serbian midfielder.
Tiemoue Bakayoko is on his way to the Stamford Bridge as Chelsea have reportedly agreed on a sum of £36.7m with Monaco. Matic is waiting for Bakayoko’s arrival and once the French midfielder completes his signing it would pave the way for the Serbian midfielder to reunite with his former boss.
Matic played a vital cog alongside Cesc Fabregas in his second spell with the club after Mourinho splashed a whopping £21m to bring back the player from Benfica in 2014/15. Chelsea went on to lift the title that season but Mourinho later departed the club in the following season.
United are expected to bring in a number of players in the summer as Jose Mourinho has already started planning for his upcoming season. After guiding United to their maiden Europa League title, Mourinho wants to solely concentrate on the Premier League which has eluded the Red Devils for four years since they won the League under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Meanwhile, Matic underwent a positive transformation under Antonio Conte last season and the Italian gaffer will be desperate to keep him but the Serbian doesn’t want to play the second fiddle to Bakayoko.
Mourinho wants a strong physical presence in the midfield to complement Paul Pogba and Matic would be the ideal player. Having known the manager for years, Matic would be an instant fit in his system. Pogba was unable to show his antics last season and Mourinho would be determined to bring a player who would unlock his potential by giving him the required freedom in the middle of the park.
Matic is a typical defensive midfielder who would sit in front of the backline to ensure there is enough protection for the defence. United have another midfielder, Ander Herrera who has similar characteristics but is slightly more attack-minded. Herrera’s defensive ability is quite commendable but he is more comfortable playing in a more forward role.
Matic and Herrera’s partnership will smoothen Pogba’s role in the side as it will let him strut his stuff as we have often seen the French midfielder creating a host of chances whenever he has been handed a more creative role.
