Couldn't turn down chance to work with Jose again: Matic
31 July 2017 6:06 PM GMT
On Monday, Manchester United announced that they had signed Nemanja Matic from Chelsea on a three-year contract with an option to extend for a further year. The 28-year-old Serbian international midfielder has won a number of club and individual honours including league titles in both England and Portugal. Jose Mourinho said: "Nemanja is a Manchester United player and a Jose Mourinho player. He represents everything we want in a footballer; loyalty, consistency, ambition, team player.
"I would like to thank him for his desire to join us because without that, it would be impossible to have him here. I am sure our players and supporters will love him. A big welcome to our new number 31." Meanwhile, Nemanja Matic said: "I am delighted to have joined Manchester United. To work with Jose Mourinho once again was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.
"I have enjoyed my time at Chelsea and would like to thank the club and the fans for their support. I cannot wait to meet my new team-mates and to start training with them.
"This is a very exciting time for the club and I am looking forward to playing my part in creating more history for this great club." The midfielder was pictured at the club's Carrington Road training complex on Sunday, with media reporting that a deal would be announced on Monday.
It will be the second time that Matic, who turns 29 on Tuesday, has played under Mourinho. The Portuguese first signed him when he was Chelsea manager, for £21 million in January 2014.
Matic, who had originally joined the Blues in 2009 before moving to Benfica in 2011, became an influential part of Chelsea's title-winning side under Mourinho in 2014-15. However, the 32-times capped Serbian international was among those under-performing badly in Mourinho's final season at Stamford Bridge before becoming a regular as new manager Antonio Conte took Chelsea to another title last season.
This month Chelsea have signed Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and, probably sensing his place was under threat, Matic declined to sign an extension to his contact which had two years left to run.
At Old Trafford, Matic will be reunited with another former Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata and compete with Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini for a first-team spot.
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