Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic has confirmed that he has played his last game for the club, and he is now expected to complete his move back to Chelsea, the club he left just a few years ago.
Matic was part of the deal that saw David Luiz go the other way, but he is now willing and ready to make his return to the Premier League in a deal worth around £25million.
Speaking in a magazine in Portugal, Matic thanks the fans of Benfica and admitted that he had played his last game for the club, and he is now expected to fly to England in order to have a medical sometime this week.
‘Yes, it was my last game (against Porto). I want to thank all the people at the club and all the supporters. Benfica will be forever in my heart.
‘I played here for two and a half years, I gave my best in every practice session, every game, and now is the right time to leave. I want to improve, I want to go to a better league and want to play for Chelsea, a club which I also like.
He added: ‘I also thank the president of Benfica, who did everything he could to keep me here but I have wanted to leave and insisted on leaving.
‘I respect the effort made to keep me at Benfica, and all the people of Benfica were very good to me, made me happy, but I repeat that I insisted on going out as I feel that the time is right.’
The 27-year-old will be Jose Mourinho’s first signing of the Winter transfer market, but it will also mark the departure of Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to join German side Wolfsburg for £16.7million.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
