Is Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic worth £50million to Manchester United?

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As Manchester United continue to search the transfer market for a midfielder, the Mirror say that they could be forced to pay as much as £50 million for Chelsea star Nemanja Matic. The Serbian is believed to be a top target for the club.

Why would United want to sign him?

Matic is a dominant midfield enforcer who would provide the perfect foil for Ander Herrera in the middle of the park. His tough tackling and style of stamping his influence on the game will suit United in giving Herrera and Paul Pogba more freedom in the middle of the park.

On top of that, Matic’s powerful shots from distance would represent a different kind of threat to what Manchester United currently possess. Mourinho’s midfield is fairly creative, but he does not have many options looking to shoot from distance.

Matic also has invaluable experience, having won the Premier League only last season at Chelsea. In addition, he has worked under Jose Mourinho before and the duo will know exactly what to expect from each other.

Is he worth £50 million?

Part of the fee is believed to be a “Lukaku tax”, as Roman Abramovich seeks revenge for having Romelu Lukaku taken from under his nose. In addition, it is hard to imagine that either Abramovich or Antonio Conte would be keen to sell a key player to a title rival, but United are the only option when it comes to matching the asking price.

That has hugely inflated the fee demanded for Matic, given that he will soon celebrate his 29th birthday and has entered into the final year of his contract. In just 11 months time, he could make the move for free.

Is a move likely?

The Guardian believe so. They say that Mourinho and Manchester United are keen to make a move and believe that it could be very close if they match Chelsea’s asking price.

After the arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko in west London, and with United having missed out on Eric Dier, it seems that it will only be a matter of time until Matic is a Red Devil.