Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Nemanja Matic has agreed a deal with Manchester United to extend his stay beyond the summer, when his current contract was set to expire.
It looked for all the world like Matic's time at Old Trafford was coming to an end during the recent January window - and indeed last summer - with first team opportunities diminishing and Solskjaer opting for youth in place of the Serbian.
Good performance yesterday and important 3️⃣ points for us @ManUtd ⚽️ #ggmu #london pic.twitter.com/YnROwCqJum
— Nemanja Matic (@NemanjaMatic) February 18, 2020
Matic was drawing criticism from across the board with some sluggish, mediocre outings under Solskjaer, but a partnership with Fred began to blossom in place of the injured duo of Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba.
Taking it upon themselves to turn around United's miserable form, the previously lambasted midfielder put in a string of impressive displays alongside the Brazilian - performances that seemed impossible given his previous showings.
As a result of that upturn in form, Solskjaer has followed in a similar vein to how United acted when the Norwegian suddenly revived the club's immediate fortunes after taking over from Jose Mourinho - confirming ahead of Sunday's derby clash with Manchester City that a knee-jerk reaction had indeed been applied, again, by handing Matic a new deal.
“He will stay here. Yeah, 100 per cent. We have agreed with him so he will stay," he confirmed, via The Sun.
It’s derby day ✊
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 8, 2020
️ Let’s keep Manchester red #MUFC
There is no doubting Matic has turned a corner - fortunately quicker than he actually turns a corner - at United with this new-found resurgence, but after turning 32 in the summer, how pivotal he will be to returning the club to their former glories is another matter.
He'll provide adequate cover for McTominay and Fred in midfield - discounting Pogba because of obvious reasons - but Solskjaer clearly thinks he is warranting of fresh terms for his performances since the turn of the year, and not his average displays before that.
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Source : 90min