Manchester United are willing to let one of their first team defenders go the other way in order to land Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic. The Serbian was one of Jose Mourinho’s key players during his time at Chelsea and the pair reportedly want to work together again.
Nemanja Matic had a disappointing campaign with Chelsea this past season. The 27-year-old midfielder fell out of favour after a string of under par performances and soon found himself losing his first team spot to John Obi Mikel. His future under Antonio Conte is also clouded in doubt, as the Blues are reportedly looking to bring in AS Roma midfielder Radja Nianggolan.
Jose Mourinho has convinced the Manchester United board to invest in the Matic and they have even reportedly approached Chelsea to inquire about his availability. It has now emerged that United are also ready to offer Italian defender Matteo Darmian as part of the deal, according to the Mirror.
Darmian arrived at Old Trafford from Serie A club Torino last summer for £12 million. After a bright Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur, the right-back has not had much of an impact for the Red Devils. Mourinho is apparently willing to let the Italian go after poor form and a series of injuries have waylaid his season.
Darmian is to Conte what Matic is to Mourinho
Jose Mourinho was the man who brought Nemanja Matic to Chelsea during the first year of his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge. The Serbian was a prominent fixture of his title-winning season in 2014-15, even featuring in the PFA Team of the Year. The pair will be looking to resurrect their good working relationship at Old Trafford.
It is a similar situation between incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and Matteo Darmian. Conte is currently the Italian national coach and Darmian is playing under him at Euro 2016. The right-back started in the Azurri’s opening game against Belgium and looks set to be a key member of the side. Darmian also has the experience of playing in the role of a wing-back in a formation that Conte is very likely to implement at Stamford Bridge.
An exchange of players could prove to be beneficial for both parties.
