Man Utd eye summer swoop for Benfica midfielder.
SOURCE: The Observer
Manchester United head coach Sir Alex Ferguson is set to continue his long-running search for a new central midfield player by making inquiries about the possibility of signing highly-rated Benfica player Nemanja Matic at the end of the season.
Given the amount of midfielders recently linked with an Old Trafford switch, it appears that the Scot is currently on the lookout for new bodies to fill the centre of the park, especially now that veteran Welshman Ryan Giggs has entered his forties and one-time England international Paul Scholes could once again be set to call it a day with the Red Devils.
However, the name of Benfica’s Matic may come as a surprise to some in England who will recall the midfield player from his brief time in west London with Chelsea, when the Serbia international made just the two Premier League appearances at Stamford Bridge under Blues coach Carlo Ancelotti in 2009-10.
The 24-year-old is a far more accomplished player now though, shining in midfield for the Lisbon giants this season, so much so that Matic was awarded a new bumper five-year contract by his club in Jan with an eye-catching 45 million euros buy-out clause.
That in essence will likely be the major sticking point for Ferguson as for as much as Matic has improved since departing the English top flight, there are cheaper and better central-midfield alternatives currently out there in the market for the club to pursue.
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