Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic eyeing reunion with former manager Jose Mourinho at AS Roma
According to TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic could reunite with former boss Jose Mourinho at AS Roma in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Serbian has already announced his departure from United at the end of the season, leaving a gaping hole in midfield for the English giants. He is the only natural defensive midfielder in the squad, which means that the team will need to eye replacements for the veteran soon.
Matic spent five years at Old Trafford, joining from rivals Chelsea in 2017 after spending a successful time in London with the Blues, where he picked up two Premier League titles and an FA Cup.
The ex-Benfica man was last seen turning out at the Theatre of Dreams over the weekend against Norwich City, with the player coming on in the second half of the game as United managed a 3-2 win over the Canaries.
Potential Mourinho-Matic link-up at Roma
With the midfielder heading out of the English side as soon as the season ends, Roma have already made contact with Matic over a potential move ahead in the summer. Mourinho, who now manages the Serie A side, is said to have given the green light for a transfer for the 33-year-old.
The Portuguese coach is quite familiar with Matic and his abilities, with the pair working together while at both Chelsea and United. It was Mourinho who brought the midfield star from London to Manchester, and the ex-Red Devils boss also sent a message to Matic after he announced his departure from the club last week.
Having spent his senior career playing in Serbia, Slovakia, and England, it looks like Matic may be taking his skills to Italy to play in the capital under a familiar face in Mourinho. Although he never won a trophy at United under the manager, he was a regular feature of the team in midfield.
The 33-year-old certainly enjoyed more success with Chelsea than at Old Trafford, managing to only reach the finals of the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League during his career in Manchester. However, he was appreciated and loved by United fans, with the midfielder bringing some solidity on the pitch in the middle of the park – something we have lacked sorely over the last few years.
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Although he was never at the peak of his powers over the last couple of seasons, he still managed to help the team out whenever called upon and did a tidy job, showing glimpses of the ability we all saw from him while at Chelsea.
Mourinho seems to be making a habit of reuniting with former Red Devils players at Roma, linking up once again with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Chris Smalling. Now, it seems that Matic will be the latest player to join him at the Stadio Olimpico next season.
