Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic set to force Manchester United move

Nemanja Matic is keen to push through a move to Manchester United following the imminent arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea. The Serbia international and his agent have reportedly held talks with the Blues hierarchy for a transfer in a bid to get the deal over the line before the weekend.

The Daily Mail reports that boss Antonio Conte is not keen to pull the deal through as he wants to have another midfielder in the line-up with Bakayoko set to miss a major part of the opening half of the season with a knee injury. Inter Milan are also interested but are unlikely to meet his wage and contract demands with the player approaching 30.

Matic was an important figure in the Chelsea line-up last season, making 30 starts in the league alongside N'Golo Kante, helping them win the title for the second time in three years. He was preferred over Cesc Fabregas, who was brought in late in games to influence the play as a deep-lying playmaker.

The Serbian shares an amicable relationship with Mourinho, given that the Portuguese man brought him back to the Premier League in 2014 and went on to win the title with Chelsea a year later.

Mourinho has been heavily pursuing a defensive rock in midfield to partner Paul Pogba, so that the midfielder can finally fulfil his potential. Having some cover will allow the French international to drive forward while Matic can sweep over at the back to prevent any potential counterattacks coming their way.

The Red Devils have also been linked with a move for Eric Dier from Tottenham Hotspur but the England international is believed to be deep in the plans for manager Mauricio Pochettino and is therefore unlikely to be available for transfer. They are also exploring an opportunity to sign Radja Nainggolan from Roma, with the club willing to offload him and make way for other potential recruits.