Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic is reportedly on the verge of quitting the club and joining Juventus in a £20m move this summer.
The Serbian international was a key member of the squad in their run to the Premier League title last season, but as with many of his teammates, he has been unable to be as equally as influential this year.
According to The Daily Star, the 27-year-old could be amongst the players shown the door ahead of Antonio Conte’s arrival, with Juan Cuadrado set to return from his loan spell from Juventus and will be handed a second chance by the Italian tactician.
It’s a disappointing turn of events for Matic, as although he has himself to blame for falling short of expectations, the fact that he has made just five starts in the last two months would have also been a determining factor behind his inability to find peak form and fitness.
The former Benfica star isn’t expected to be the only star individual to be offloaded by Conte, as the Italy boss will want to stamp his mark on the squad at Stamford Bridge in order to ensure that it fits his ideals and style of play.
Aside from raising transfer funds, any decision to sell Matic would also free up space in the Chelsea midfield to bring in a new recruit, as it looks as though Conte will be looking in a different direction and won’t rely on some of the star names that haven’t performed this season.