Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has announced that he will leave the club at the end of the ongoing season. The 33-year-old, who joined from Chelsea in 2017, shared the news on Instagram.
His full statement read:
"After a great deal of thought, I have decided that this season will be my last with Manchester United. I have informed the board, the manager and the players of my decision.
It has been a huge honour and a privilege to play for this great club. A big thank you to the fans for their unwavering support.
I will now give everything until the end of the season to help my teammates finish as strongly as possible."
Matic has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, clocking just 994 minutes of playing time in the Premier League this term. The Serbian has another year left on his contract, but has now decided to call it time early on his Manchester United stint.
During his five-year-long association with the Red Devils, Matic failed to lift silverware. However, he was part of the United sides that finished as runners-up in the 2017-18 FA Cup and 2020-21 Europa League.
It remains to be seen where Matic is headed next in his journey as a professional footballer.
Manchester United have struggled to make an impression this season
Despite the high-profile signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, Manchester United have not lived up to the expectations in the ongoing campaign.
The Premier League giants exited the Champions League in the round of 16 stages, while also crashing out of the FA Cup (fourth round) and Carabao Cup (third round).
As things stand, United are languishing in seventh-place in the Premier League with 51 points from 31 games. Hence, they face a stern challenge in terms of finishing inside the top four, which will guarantee them Champions League football next season.
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly close to joining Manchester United in the summer. Under the Dutch tactician, the club could undergo a massive rebuild. As such, it wouldn't come as a surprise if several others also opted to follow Matic by deciding to leave Old Trafford.
Understandably, Ten Hag will have his task cut out if United are to return to their glorious past. It will be interesting to see how they get along and what fortunes await them in the next campaign.