Jose Mourinho, the new manager of AS Roma, may not be interested in bringing back his former Manchester United star.
Mourinho is set to take over as manager of Roma next season, and various Italian reports have revealed that the Portuguese tactician is eager to bolster his new squad.
Manchester United's Nemanja Matic is one of the players Mourinho has targeted.
Roma reportedly reached out to Manchester United for Matic earlier this month, and the Serbian is said to be interested in joining the Italian club as well.
However, things may not be as simple as they appear, as Matic's current salary is said to have "risen," and Roma will be unable to afford it, according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato.
Matic, who has two years left on his current contract with Manchester United, earns around €7 million ($8.5 million) per season, which is too much for Roma, according to the report.
It is unclear whether Matic will be willing to accept a pay cut in order to complete a deal that will see him play for Mourinho for the third time in his career.
Mourinho and Matic had successful careers at Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively. The pair won the English Premier League title with Chelsea in 2015, and according to reports, the renowned manager is looking to make a big impact at Roma with the help of the 32-year-old midfielder.
Matic appeared in 31 matches for the Red Devils in all competitions last season.
Despite being one of Manchester United's most active players, the two-time Serbian Footballer of the Year has failed to record a single goal or assist.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager of Manchester United, has yet to comment on Matic's future at Old Trafford.
However, based on his comments about Matic ahead of the 2020-21 season, it appears that he is pleased with his performance and would like to keep the three-time Premier League winner.
“Nemanja [Matic] is playing some of his best football,” Solskjaer said before the start of the 2020-21 season, according to Manchester United's official website. “For the first time in many, many years, he's had a good preseason.”
“I'm very happy that we're seeing the best of Nemanja, and he'll be important for us, and then, of course, it comes down to performances and whether Nemanja wants to stay, but he's in great form right now,” he added.
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