West Ham were linked with a move for Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic earlier this week.
The experienced ace joined United from Chelsea for £40 million in 2017 (BBC Sport).
Football website 90Min claimed that the Hammers are weighing up a January bid for the £120k-a-week Serbian.
The 31-year-old has enjoyed a wonderful career in the game, but his performance levels have dipped considerably over this past year.
Matic is no longer the all-action midfielder he once was. And it is debatable whether he would actually strengthen the West Ham first XI.
Nemanja Matic (Photo by ANP Sport via Getty Images)
Signing an ageing player past his prime on expensive wages would be so typical of the Hammers.
There is an argument that the Manchester United midfielder would be a great role model for Declan Rice, however.
The 20-year-old is a real talent, and learning from someone like the two-time Premier League winner might be the key ingredient that takes him to the next level.
Much will depend on how much West Ham actually have to pay for the former Chelsea man.
Some Hammers fans took to Twitter to deliver their verdicts on the prospect of Matic moving to the London Stadium…
4 years ago I’d say yes. It’s not what we need. Rice does that role, what’s required are a CM with pace, energy & bite plus if we play 3 CM the 3rd needs to have the ability to make runs beyond the ST when did we last have a player who did that regularly? It’s about balance in CM
— William Field (@wilfield71) November 13, 2019
Great just what we need another player with zero pace
— Darren (@Dazzairons) November 13, 2019
shambles of a signing. The guy was finished at CFC now he’s older and slower. If our tight owners think this is remotely a good deal, esp on those wages, they’re out of this world clueless. Only a young, dynamic, pacey player will improve our squad. Anything else is pointless
— IronsmanJP (@IronsManJP) November 13, 2019
This signing & link sounds like a Husillos/Pellegrini type doesn’t it?
Typical unimaginative “name” on bloated wages & coming to the end of his career.
We are better promoting from within than wasting money on but having said that we have saved 750k a week on wages previously
— Mike Hare (@mhare641) November 13, 2019
Please no, for the love of God
— Stammers ⚒️🇺🇲 (@NYHammer2) November 13, 2019
Nemanja Matic would be a perfect addition and would mean the end to Sanchez, thank god.
— COYI!!! (@Nathanbi77) November 13, 2019
Someone hasn’t seen Matic play in the last 3 years, completely the opposite of what we need
— James Gunn (@jamesgunn_) November 13, 2019
He’s shit now. Let him go to Italy or wherever else. Too slow. We lack dynamism and legs. The opposite of Matic.
— Ali Jones (@Alibones2) November 13, 2019
We are going backwards!
— Giesen (@Giesen12) November 13, 2019
No thanks
— luke degilbert (@lukedeegilbert2) November 13, 2019
The drive to make this squad the slowest that has ever played the game is taking great shape.
— Kris Johnson (@kjohno10) November 13, 2019
FFS!! Such a typical West Ham signing. You got Issac Hayden exactly what we need 24years old contract up in the summer but we go for the guy passed his best.
— Rob Waldon WHUFC ⚒ (@RobWaldon) November 13, 2019
