Jose Mourinho forced to settle for third-choice Man Utd signing, £40m deal to be completed in less than 48 hours

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Nemanja Matic was reportedly Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho’s third choice to bolster his midfield this summer as he closes in on the Chelsea star’s signing.

Having already signed Victor Lindelof this summer, the United boss has switched his focus to strengthening his midfield with a whole host of names being linked with a move to Old Trafford.

According to The Telegraph though, Mourinho’s been forced to settle for his third-choice ahead of a reunion with Matic, as Eric Dier and Radja Nainggolan were his top two picks for his midfield.

Having made little progress with either player, it has forced him to look elsewhere which won’t come as the most reassuring assessment for his former Chelsea midfield general, but the 28-year-old now looks set to become his latest signing and will be a crucial figure in the side next season.

It’s not the first time that Man Utd have missed out on one of their primary targets in recent years, the latest high-profile one being Antoine Griezmann this summer. That will be a source of great frustration for Mourinho, but he’ll surely be pleased with the players that do actually arrive.

Meanwhile, The Sun report that Matic could be a Man Utd player in less than 48 hours as he will undergo his medical with the Red Devils ahead of completing that £40m move.

It’s claimed that the Serbian international will earn around £155,000-a-week as Chelsea look set to bring in Tiemoue Bakayoko as his replacement at Stamford Bridge, while United will make him the replacement for Michael Carrick who turns 36 next month.

If as expected Matic becomes a Man Utd player this week, he will be all set to join his new teammates when they depart for their pre-season tour of the US on July 9, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be the last new arrival at Old Trafford this summer.

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