Roma manager Jose Mourinho is ready to offer Nemanja Matic a Manchester United escape route, according to reports in Italy.
Serbian midfielder Matic had an option to extend his contract with United until 2023 but has made clear his plans to move on this summer. United are believed to have been blindsided by the decision, but interim manager Ralf Rangnick has continued to give the 33-year-old minutes in the league since the announcement.
The veteran has been signed by Mourinho for two clubs already, so a move to Roma would make it three. He signed for United during the Portuguese manager's time in charge in 2017, having previously rejoined Chelsea in January 2014 during Mourinho's second stint in charge.
"After a great deal of thought, I have decided that this season will be my last with Manchester United," Matic wrote on Instagram. "I have informed the board, the manager and the players of my decision.
"It has been a huge honour and a privilege to play for this great club. A big thank you to the fans for their unwavering support. I will now give everything until the end of the season to help my teammates finish as strongly as possible."
Now, according to Tuttomercatoweb, Mourinho is a "key factor" in a potential move to Roma. Matic has been linked with a move to Serie A in the past, with both Milan clubs and Juventus previously expressing an interest.
Will Man Utd miss Matic? Have your say in the comments section
Mourinho already has a former Man Utd man in his Roma squad in the form of Chris Smalling, while the manager recruited from the Premier League during his first season back in Italy. Tammy Abraham and Rui Patricio moved to the Stadio Olimpico over the summer, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined on loan from Arsenal in January.
The Giallorossi currently sit just outside the Champions League places in Serie A, while they have reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League. Matic would add experience to Mourinho's squad, having made more than 200 Premier League appearances with roughly half of his tally coming in a United shirt. He is also a league champion in two countries, winning the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 2014 and lifting the Premier League title with Mourinho's Chelsea 12 months later.
"Knowing Nema, he will be a player until the very, very last day he's here," Rangnick said after Matic's impending exit was confirmed. "He will put all the effort into the best possible performance. In the last [few] games, whenever I let him play, and when he has got game time, he did well."
