Manchester United’s Dream Midfield With Nemanja Matic’s Arrival
Jose Mourinho’s pursuit of a defensive midfielder has been drawn to an end as Manchester United have completed the £40m transfer of Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.
Over the weekend, a picture of the midfielder in United’s latest training kit was leaked on the internet, which fueled the speculations to a great extent and Mourinho too revealed that a move was closer than ever, after United’s 3-0 triumph over Norwegian club Valerenga in a pre-season friendly. Speaking to MUTV post the game, the Portuguese boss said (as quoted by the Telegraph):
“I’m waiting for news. I know he wants that very, very much and when a player wants very, very much the chance is bigger, the chance is bigger, so I think we have a chance.”
Now the club has confirmed the transfer, via their official Twitter handle.
#MUFC is delighted to announce the signing of Nemanja Matic from Chelsea on a three-year contract. https://t.co/AH5KfCr9ZI #MaticIsRed pic.twitter.com/vbl8kSLbEO
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 31, 2017
With the completion of the transfer, the Serbian could be a part of the squad for United’s final pre-season game against Sampdoria in Dublin on Wednesday.
Jose is likely to stick with a 4-3-3 setup he used for most parts of last season, although we will see him switch to a three-man backline as a variation, and to a 4-2-3-1 too. Here’s how the United midfield will look like in a 4-3-3.
Nemanja Matic (DM)
The 29-year old has easily been one of the best defensive-minded midfielders in the Premier League since his return to Chelsea in 2014. Matic is strong physically, tactically and is extremely tenacious, making him the ideal player that fits perfectly into Mourinho’s plans. He will sit the deepest among the midfield trio and try shield the backline most of the times and start attacks from within United’s half with his range of distribution.
Ander Herrera (RCM)
While Marouane Fellaini has had a strong pre-season, and has staked a strong claim for a starting berth, it will be Herrera who should be the natural first-choice for United on the right-hand side of the central midfield trident. The Spaniard grew into a leader for the Red Devils last season under Mourinho and was one of their best players. The energy, the hustle and bustle that he brings to the midfield, combined with his ability to play those defence-splitting passes make him the right man to trust.
Paul Pogba (LCM)
The world-record man started off slowly upon his return to the Old Trafford a year ago, but has been in fine form in the pre-season so far. Pogba has looked extremely influential in the past few weeks in the middle of the park and while too much should not be read into the pre-season games, the signs are extremely positive for the Red Devils. With Matic in the ranks, things will only get better, as the Serbian performing the defensive duties will allow Pogba to express his creativity to romp forward from the left-hand side of the three-pronged midfield and impact the games further up the pitch.