THIRD SIGNING WRAPPED UP
Manchester United completed the transfer of Nemanja Matic from Chelsea yesterday. It is the end of a protracted transfer saga that occupied the back pages for over a month. Matic will don the No. 31 jersey, lying vacant since the departure of Bastian Schweinsteiger. Matic is the third signing of the summer joining the Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku. Matic signed a three-year deal.
GIANTS
Manchester United are a tall team, literally and figuratively. With the addition of Nemanja Matic, United boast one of the tallest sides of the Premier League. With players like Pogba, Bailly, Lukaku, De Gea and Lindelof, all of whom are a well over 6 feet in length, one would expect United to be a force in the air. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the only signing made by Jose Mourinho below 6 feet in height. Should United complete the signing of Ivan Perisic, it would be a tall task for any club to beat United.
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Manchester United have agreed a sponsorship deal with online dating site Tinder. The deal will fetch United about £12m for displaying the company’s logo on their sleeves. With the Premier League changing the rules of sponsorship on the shirt, allowing clubs to sell one sleeve patch while retaining the space for the Premier League logo on the other sleeve. United will the tenth side from the top flight to sign such a sponsor, but it is reported that United’s deal is the largest yet.
THE NEMANJA FACTOR
Manchester United latest signing shares his first name with arguably United’s best defender of the millennium – Nemanja Vidic. The two also share the same country and Matic when quizzed about following in his countryman’s footsteps answered: “Vidic was a great player – he had a great career. When I came to the international team he was the captain. ‘I will try my best to repeat what he did [at United]. I know it will be very hard but I will try.’ Matic would also not mind being serenaded with the same chant Old Trafford remembers Vidic.
MORE SUSPENSIONS IN EUROPE
Manchester United will be without Phil Jones for the UEFA Super Cup meeting with Real Madrid on 8th August. He was handed the ban for abusing a doping officer during United’s Europa League Final triumph. Jones was also handed a fine of £4.9k. Daley Blind has also been fined for £4.9k for being reluctant to take the test.
United have three days to appeal the decision of the UEFA. The suspension of Jones combined with Bailly’s ban means that United will be short on manpower in defence against Real Madrid.