Manchester United are expected to sell Nemanja Matic and a move to Premier League strugglers West Ham is reportedly on the cards.
Manuel Pellegrini has waited a long time to get his hands on Nemanja Matic. Six years, to be precise.
But with the Serbian stalwart seemingly on his way out of Manchester United during the upcoming January transfer window, West Ham’s Chilean coach could finally, after over half a decade of waiting, get the chance to work with one of the most underrated midfield enforcers of the Premier League era.
According to 90Min, West Ham is a potential destination for Matic, who has slipped down the pecking order at Old Trafford and started just one match all season with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer putting his faith in the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and even young Joe Garner.
And a little bit of digging suggests that the under-fire Pellegrini has been a fan of Matic for some time. It was back in December 2013 when the veteran coach first tried to sign him, according to The Mirror.
Pellegrini was at Manchester City back then and Matic was making a real name for himself at Benfica. But in the January 2014 transfer window, City were left snookered when Chelsea swooped in and re-signed a player they had let go just three years earlier – paying £21 million for the privilege (BBC).
Matic may be in his 30s these days but he has amassed substantial experience at the top level since returning to English shores and there’s no doubting the impact he could make on a West Ham side slipping rapidly down the table.
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