Arsenal have reportedly entered the race for Chelsea superstar Nemanja Matic and are set to rival Manchester United and others in pursuit of the Serb.
According to The Sun, there may yet be another twist in the Nemanja Matic transfer saga. Arsenal have emerged as another suitor for the Chelsea superstar, who is a target for Manchester United and Inter Milan. The Gunners are ready to offer a swap deal, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain going the other way.
Nemanja Matic is reportedly looking to reunite with former boss Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. However, the Red Devils have recently beaten Chelsea to capture Romelu Lukaku, something that has irked the Blues, who are now looking towards other suitors for Matic.
Nemanja Matic has become synonymous with every Chelsea starting lineup in his second stint at the club as Jose Mourinho returned to the Stamford Bridge. However, the Serb’s form took a dip as Mourinho exited the club after a terrible start to the defence of their Premier League title in 2015.
Under Antonio Conte, though, Matic returned to being the ever-reliable holding midfielder. In the past season, the player featured in all but 3 Premier League matches as Chelsea regained their hold on the Premier League crown. However, Chelsea are now set to buy Tiemoue Bakayoko, or some other midfielder – in case Bakayoko’s pursuit fails.
Chelsea player, Nemanja Matic, is NOT going to fly out the China with the rest of the squad. Is he #MUFC bound?? pic.twitter.com/aO89cGENBY
— ManUtdGoals (@ManUtdGoaIs) July 14, 2017
The aforementioned transfer will put Matic’s starting role at Stamford Bridge under question, which has seen the Serb being linked with a move away from the club. Manchester United need a new holding midfielder to replace Carrick in the middle of the park and Mourinho is eager to reunite with Matic.
There were rumours of the Serb being on the edge of a move to Manchester United before the Red Devils hijacked Chelsea’s deal for Romelu Lukaku, which may have made the Blues rethink their deal for Matic. On the other hand, Inter Milan emerged as another suitor for Matic.
However, it is Arsenal that have come swooping in and their offer could be the most lucrative one yet for Conte and his employers. The Gunners are set to offer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in exchange for Matic, which would serve both teams’ need this summer.
Sky Italy: Arsenal want swap deal with Chelsea – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Nemanja Matic
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) July 14, 2017
Arsenal need reinforcements in the midfield pivot role and Matic, with his abundant Premier League experience could just be what Arsene Wenger needs to unlock his team’s true potential. Chelsea, on the other hand, need depth in the attacking areas and the Ox could serve as an admirable challenger to Victor Moses as well.
The Englishman has recently played as a right wing-back and his addition could alleviate Chelsea’s need for a new right wing-back. Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio is also claiming that Arsenal are considering the proposal as a serious offer and could submit the same to Chelsea soon.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea exact their revenge on Manchester United by opting to accept Arsenal or other suitors’ offers instead. Arsenal’s offer though, could be a good piece of business for both clubs and is likely to be put to heavy consideration by Chelsea, if the Gunners do end up tabling the same.