Nemanja Matic linked with cut-price Man Utd to Barcelona move
By Tom Gott
Barcelona are looking to save a bit of money in the transfer market and have been tipped to make a cut-price move for Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic.
A physical midfielder has been high on Ronald Koeman's wish list for what feels like an eternity. The Dutchman failed to sign Georginio Wijnaldum in the summer and then lost young Ilaix Moriba to RB Leipzig, so the desire to sign a new midfielder is as strong as ever.
The problem for Barcelona, however, is that they don't really have any money to spend on players - ignoring the fact that those in charge at Camp Nou continue to explore a move for Erling Haaland.
With cash a little tight, scouts are looking for cheaper options on the market, and according to The Sun, Matic's name has been suggested as a potential target.
The 33-year-old has around 18 months remaining on his contract at Old Trafford and Barcelona believe that both his age and the time left on his deal would make Matic relatively cheap to sign at the end of the season.
United are expected to be in the market for a new midfielder in 2022, with sources confirming to 90min that Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni is being watched closely, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be willing to part ways with Matic.
One player who Solskjaer does not want to see the back of is Paul Pogba, who will be out of contract in the summer and is also under consideration by Barcelona.
However, according to Sport, Barcelona officials have effectively ruled themselves out of the race to sign Pogba because of the cost of the deal. While he may not command a transfer fee, the Frenchman is expected to demand close to €20m (£17m) per season, and that's on top of signing-on fees and commission to agent Mino Raiola.
It is said that Raiola has started an auction 'in which Barcelona cannot participate' and the Catalan giants have now 'totally' ruled themselves out of the running.
It's for that reason that Matic has emerged as a candidate to fill the long-standing void in Barcelona's midfield, so this could be one to keep an eye on.