According to Corriere Dello Sport, Nemanja Matic is set to sign for AS Roma putting an end to his Manchester United tenure. His medical has been booked by the Italian club.
Matic just confirmed that he will retire from Manchester United after the 2021-22 season. It’s time for him to leave Old Trafford after five seasons. And it wasn’t long before it became evident where he’d wind up.
Matic was instantly linked with a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Roma, as one might expect. However, those early signs were correct all along.
It was recently rumored that Matic and Roma have reached an agreement. However, there has been some misunderstanding as to when the announcement will be made. Clarification has finally arrived. Matic’s medical will take place in Rome within these few days.
He’ll also sign the contract that will mark the start of his third stint as Mourinho’s player. Then he should be able to relax and enjoy his break.
In defensive midfield, United still needs to find a successor for Matic. They’re considering a lot of choices in the same area, including Frenkie de Jong.
Off the field, though, finding someone with Matic’s attributes will be difficult. His new team is well aware of this, having struggled over the past year to recruit a holding man for Mourinho.
As a result, the former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur boss has gone with the tried and true Matic. For the first time in his career, the 33-year-old will play in Serie A next season.
His deal with Roma is for a single season. If he reaches a particular appearance threshold, it will automatically renew for a second. Matic will earn €3.5 million in his first season with Roma. He is effectively cutting his Manchester United income with the base wage of roughly £57,500 each week.
During his time at the club, he made 189 appearances but, never won a trophy.
He’ll be joining a team in Rome that recently won the Europa Conference League title. Only time will tell if he can repeat his success with Mourinho, or if his soon-to-be former club United can reclaim their golden days.