Man Utd devise plan to stop Inter from making third raid on club

Jonny Whitfield

Manchester United will extend Nemanja Matic’s contract by a further year to ward off Inter Milan’s interest, according to a report.

Matic, who moved to Old Trafford from Chelsea for around £40m in 2017, was a key part of the side under Jose Mourinho but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has only used the Croatian five times so far this term.

Recent reports indicated that Inter boss Antonio Conte had placed Matic on a four-man shortlist of targets and, as such, Corrierre dello Sport now says that United are trying to fend off that interest.

Conte is reportedly keen on Matic having worked with the 31-year-old when the pair were at Stamford Bridge, but the Italian publication reports that a reunification could be denied as the Red Devils could extend his current contract by a further year.

 

 

The report adds that due to Matic being in the final year of his deal, clubs can begin pre-contract negotiations with him in January and United are said to be unwilling to lose the player for nothing next summer.

An inter move for the midfielder would be the third such raid the club have conducted on the Red Devils in a matter of months, followng the signings of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in the summer.

Meanwhile, Jermaine Jenas has claimed that the club should have kept hold of Lukaku and sold winger Anthony Martial instead.