Chelsea F.C. have completed the signing of Serbia international midfielder Nemanja Matic from Portuguese Primeira Liga giants S.L. Benfica for an undisclosed fee, according to the club’s official website, Chelseafc.com.
Matic, who joined Benfica from Chelsea as part of the deal for David Luiz in 2011, has put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
The Serbia international, 25, is absolutely delighted to be back in West London, and rightfully so.
“I am very happy for this opportunity to be back at this club,” said Matic. “I feel very good because of that and just want to say I will give my best to help the team and make the Chelsea fans happy.”
Manager Jose Mourinho added: “I am very pleased that Nemanja is returning to Chelsea.
“He has grown as a player in Portugal and has become a fantastic all-round midfielder.
“I am sure he will become a very important member of the squad and help us to achieve our ambitions.”
Matic, an imposing fortress standing at 1.94 metres tall, netted three goals in 22 appearances in all competitions for Benfica in 2013/14.
The Blues new No. 21 is priced at 15/2 to score at anytime in his fourth first-team appearance for the Blues against Manchester United on Sunday.
In other news, Chelsea defensive midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah has returned to the club from his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
The England Under-21 international bagged two goals in 12 Championship appearances while on loan at the City Ground.
Chadli could leave Spurs
The agent of Tottenham Hotspur winger Nacer Chadli, Daniel Evrard, has revealed the player could leave White Hart Lane in the January transfer window.
Chadli, 24, joined Spurs from Dutch Eredivisie side FC Twente in a deal worth £7 million in the summer but has failed to establish himself as a regular starter.
Despite his lack of regular first-team football at Tottenham, Chadli has remained a regular for Belgium under manager Marc Wilmots.
However, Wilmots may become concerned with the 24-year-old’s lack of action when it comes time to submit his final squad for the World Cup finals in Brazil.
“His situation is not easy at Tottenham at the moment. The World Cup is arriving so it’s a problem,” Evrard told the London Evening Standard.
“For him to play at the World Cup it’s important so why not a loan? We haven’t spoken to Tottenham yet but I know there are clubs interested in him.
“There are a lot of players in the same situation who are not in the team and they want to play in the World Cup so there is a market for a lot of clubs.
“It’s important for him not to take any risks by going to a country he doesn’t know well.”
The Belgium international has made 21 appearances, albeit just nine starts, across all competitions for Tottenham this term, tallying two goals and three assists.
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