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Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic is reportedly on the verge of joining Italian giants AS Roma. The Serbian is set to leave the Red Devils by mutual consent this summer despite having one year remaining on his contract with the club.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio via Fabrizio Romano, Nemanja Matic is close to joining Roma where he will reunite with former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho. The 33-year-old looks set to join the Serie A giants as a free agent and will be offered a one-year contract by the club.
Jose Mourinho brought Nemanja Matic to Chelsea in January 2014 from Benfica for £21 million. The defensive midfielder rose to prominence during his time with the Blues as he quickly developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in world football.
Matic made over 150 appearances for the Blues and helped the club win two Premier League titles and an FA Cup. He joined Manchester United in 2017 in a deal worth £40 million and was reunited with Jose Mourinho.
The 33-year-old enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with the Red Devils as he helped the club finish second in the Premier League and reach the final of the FA Cup. He has gone on to make 189 appearances for United in all competitions during his five seasons with the club.
Matic has been a prominent member of Manchester United's squad over the last couple of seasons, but his lack of speed, mobility, and consistency have led to him falling behind Fred and Scott McTominay in the pecking order.
The veteran midfielder announced that he will be leaving the club in mid-April despite having little over a year left on his contract. Reports suggest he will join Europa Conference League winners AS Roma on a free transfer this summer, where he will once again reunite with Jose Mourinho.
The former Chelsea boss is keen to continue developing his squad to boost their chances of competing for a place in the top four of Serie A next season.
Manchester United's mass exodus continues as Eric Bailly looks set to leave the club
Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, and Edinson Cavani have already waved their goodbyes as they are set to leave the club once their contracts expire on June 30. Nemanja Matic is also set to leave the club by mutual consent this summer.
Ivorian defender Eric Bailly could also be set to join the aforementioned players through the exit door at Old Trafford. According to The Mirror, the 28-year-old is 'pushing' for a move away from United after being starved of playing time last season. He made just seven appearances for the club in all competitions.
The Red Devils' new manager Erik ten Hag is expected to sign a new centre-back this summer after witnessing the club's disappointing defensive displays last season. This could result in Bailly falling even further down the pecking order. As per Sport Witness, Marseille and Lyon are interested in signing the defender.
