Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was surprised to have been offered the opportunity to sign Nemanja Matic in the summer. The Serbia international sealed his reunion with Mourinho in July after United paid up an initial fee of £35m for his signature.
In a report covered by Sky Sports News, the 54-year-old admitted that he could not resist the possibility of signing the two-time Premier League after his representative offered his services in the summer.
“I was surprised when [Matic’s] agent called me to say, ‘Do you want him?'” he told Sky Sports News. “I was surprised, but he’s an agent I know well.
“Normally he’s very direct and objective, he doesn’t waste time, he doesn’t try to get people to be interested in his players to improve their situation at their club. Normally he’s very straightforward, so when he told me, ‘You can have him if you want,’ of course I want.”
Since his switch, Matic has evolved into a key player in central midfield, and his responsibility has increased over the past month amid the injury concerns for the likes of Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini.
Matic has been ever-present in the United ranks for the Premier League duties, and he will be determined to put in a strong performance when he faces his former club for the first time since his summer exit.
Manchester United have won just once in the last 15 trips to Stamford Bridge, but Mourinho will no doubt want a positive result in order to maintain the five-point gap to leaders Manchester City.
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