The Red Devils paid Chelsea around £40m to bring the two-time English champion into their squad. Nemanja Matic played in 35 of the 38 Premier League matches the previous season, which showed how important he was to Antonio Conte.
The Serbian defensive midfielder scored 7 goals in 155 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea. He won the Premier League twice (2014-15 and 2016-17), the FA Cup (2009-10) and the Capital One Cup (2014-15). He had 32 caps for his country, with one goal. Those numbers cannot show how important Matic is to a team, however, because a defensive midfielder’s job is often to go unnoticed.
Jose Mourinho knew exactly which players Man United needed for The Red Devils to become the main title contenders. The Portuguese manager had already signed Romelu Lukaku from Everton and Victor Lindelof from Benfica. With Matic, Mourinho secured the depth the squad needed and a player he could rely on when it came to defending and keeping clean sheets.
Mourinho’s moves clearly signalled his intention to win the Premier League title and to be competitive in the Champions League. With players of that type in the squad, the task was becoming more realistic.
The title race promised to be fierce. Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all looked strong enough to challenge for the most competitive division in the world, the English Premier League.
The road to Old Trafford
Matic was born in Sabac, Serbia, on 1 August 1988. His route to the top ran through Slovakia, where he joined Kosice in 2007 and won the Slovak Cup in 2008-09. Chelsea signed him on 18 August 2009 for around £1.5 million. He made his Premier League debut on 21 November 2009 and spent the 2010-11 season on loan at Vitesse, and on 31 January 2011 he agreed to join Benfica as part of the deal that brought David Luiz to London.
In Lisbon he developed into one of the best midfielders in Portugal. He was named Primeira Liga Player of the Year for 2012-13 and won the league and the Taça de Portugal in 2013-14, as well as two League Cups, and he finished as a Europa League runner-up with the club in 2012-13. Chelsea paid £21 million to bring him back on 15 January 2014, and he went on to win two Premier League titles and the League Cup during his second spell.
The years at Manchester United
United confirmed the signing on 31 July 2017. Over five seasons Matic made 189 appearances in all competitions, 128 of them in the Premier League, and scored 4 goals. He reached two finals with the club, the 2018 FA Cup final and the 2021 Europa League final, but lost both. On 15 April 2022 he announced that he would leave at the end of the season.
After leaving Old Trafford he was soon reunited with Mourinho once again, joining Roma on a free transfer in June 2022 and reaching the 2023 Europa League final, which Roma lost on penalties. Spells at Rennes and Lyon followed, before he signed for Sassuolo in August 2025.
For Serbia, after a senior debut against Poland on 14 December 2008, he won 48 caps and scored 2 goals, played in all three group matches at the 2018 World Cup and announced his international retirement on 28 August 2020.
Questions people ask
When did Nemanja Matic join Manchester United?
Manchester United confirmed Matic's signing from Chelsea on 31 July 2017. He signed a three-year contract with an option for a further year, for a reported fee of around £40 million.
How did Matic first come to Chelsea?
Chelsea signed Matic from Slovak club Kosice on 18 August 2009 for around £1.5 million. In January 2011 he agreed to join Benfica as part of the deal that took David Luiz to Chelsea, then returned to Stamford Bridge for £21 million in January 2014.
What happened to Matic at Manchester United?
Matic made 189 appearances in all competitions for United and scored 4 goals. He reached the 2018 FA Cup final and the 2021 Europa League final with the club, losing both, and left at the end of the 2021-22 season.
How many caps did Nemanja Matic win for Serbia?
Matic won 48 caps for Serbia and scored 2 goals. He played in all three of Serbia's group matches at the 2018 World Cup and announced his international retirement on 28 August 2020.