Jose Mourinho will reportedly look to raid his former club Chelsea FC when his imminent appointment as the manager of Manchester United is confirmed.
Nemanja Matic had made the central defensive midfield role his own after a transfer back to Chelsea from Benfica in January 2014. His exceptional performances in the 2014/15 season helped Chelsea win the Premier League. However, his form has dipped since then and the Serbia international soon lost his place in the first team to John Obi Mikel.
The 27-year-old recovered some of his old form in the last few weeks of the 2015/16 season, but could be looking for a move if his former boss Jose Mourinho comes calling.
Mourinho is the favourite to take over as the manager at Manchester United after Louis van Gaal’s sacking on Monday. The Portuguese reportedly wants a complete overhaul of the Manchester United squad, as he is looking to take the Red Devils back into Champions League contention.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Mourinho will try to sign Matic in order to strengthen the Manchester United midfield.
Mourinho is reportedly set to get a massive transfer kitty of £200 million this summer, with which he will look to sign some of his top former players. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Raphael Varane have also been linked with a move to Manchester United, having played under Mourinho at Inter Milan and Real Madrid respectively.
Does this mean the end of Carrick’s time at Old Trafford?
Michael Carrick has been one of the most consistent performers for Manchester United over the past 10 years. The former Tottenham Hotspur man has often provided the stability in the middle of the part that a dynamic team like Manchester United always needed.
However, the signing of Matic means that Carrick (who is out of contract ahead of next season) could well be on his way out of Old Trafford. However, even at the age of 34, the England international could be useful to the club.
In the last few years, Carrick has also become one of the leading figures in the Manchester United dressing room along with Wayne Rooney. In fact, when the other Manchester United players were on the brink of a revolt against Louis van Gaal and his harsh methods, Carrick and Rooney reportedly cooled the situation down by holding talks with the manager and expressing the grievances of the players.
As such, the departure of the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder will be a loss for the club — particularly if he is not adequately replaced.
