3 reasons why Chelsea and Mourinho were right to sign Nemanja Matic

1. World class defensive midfielder

The 25-year-old Serbian is a defensive midfielder who thrives on disrupting the opposition buildup thanks to his excellent positional sense. His tackling is also outstanding and he is not afraid to get stuck into players if need be – he has made 16 tackles and 10 interceptions in 6 Champions League appearances this season (as per Squawka). At 6’ 4” tall, he has the sort of physical presence in midfield that Jose Mourinho would like against physical oppositions like Stoke.

Matic would be an ideal partner for either Frank Lampard or Ramires in the centre of the park, and is an obvious upgrade on Chelsea’s only outright defensive midfielder John Obi Mikel. The Portuguese tactician’s fondness for playing an outright holding player will mean that Matic slots straight into the starting eleven.

2. Tactical awareness

Jose Mourinho is known for his horses-for-courses approach, and sets up his teams to counteract the strengths of the opposition. Matic’s possesses tactical flexibility, having played in a 4-3-3, a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 formation during his career. He can play as a box-to-box midfielder in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation while he is the most comfortable playing as holding midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Matic can shield the back four, intercept passes and launch counterattacks, and has a physical presence in midfield that will help him adapt to the English game; having previously spent time at Chelsea will obviously help him. Mourinho will appreciate his flexibility and he might soon be one of the first names on the team sheet.

3. Utility further up the park

While Matic’s best position may be as a holding midfielder sitting in front of his back for and breaking up opposition attacks, there is enough evidence to suggest that he can create and score goals. He has the ability to run with the ball and dribble past players, and possesses an excellent shot from range.

With Frank Lampard close to hanging up his boots, his ability to hit the target from outside the penalty box is going to be missed, and Matic may be the perfect candidate to fill those shoes in the long run. He has over the past three seasons shown his ability to score the spectacular goal every now and then, and goals from midfield are always crucial. The most apt comparison would be with Yaya Toure, and that’s paying the young Serbian a massive complement.