Nemanja Matic’s £40 million move to Manchester United looks to be edging closer after Tiemoue Bakayoko reportedly traveled to London for a medical at Chelsea on Tuesday.
Bakayoko, the 22-year-old midfielder from Monaco, is seen as Matic’s replacement at Stamford Bridge, and his arrival will open the way for United to confirm the signing of the Serbian.
According to France’s RTL via Metro, Bakayoko is in London to complete a £36.7 million move from Monaco to the Premier League champions, in what would be Antonio Conte’s first signing of the summer.
Jose Mourinho, however, has already wrapped up one signing, with Swedish center back Victor Lindelof arriving from Benfica earlier this month in a £31 million deal.
And on Monday, reports said United had agreed a deal to reunite Mourinho and Matic at Old Trafford this summer.
The 28-year-old central midfielder has agreed personal terms and the two clubs have come to an agreement on the fee, believed to be £40 million, according to The Guardian.
Matic, the report says, will earn around £155,000 (around $198,000) a week and will take his medical at the Carrington Training Centre this week.
Mourinho is currently in Portugal for the funeral of his father, who died on Sunday.
Though the manager’s departure may slow the deal down, United is expected to confirm Matic’s arrival before the team travels to the United States on July 9 for a preseason tour.
Matic was signed by Mourinho at Chelsea for £21 million from Benfica. It is believed that Mourinho sees the Serbian midfielder as the eventual replacement for Michael Carrick in the center for United.
The club is also after a striker to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata is reportedly at the top of that wish list for Mourinho. He is expected to cost around £70 million.
Source:newsweek.com