From out in the cold to Man Utd's key midfielder: How Matic earned new three-year deal

When Manchester United announced in March that they had triggered the one-year extension option on Nemanja Matic’s contract, the reaction was, on the whole, negative.

The Serbia international had struggled for game time during the first half of the season, with his performances when he was on the pitch doing little to justify him holding down a regular place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting line-up.

Prior to United's victory over Burnley in late December, Matic had started just two Premier League matches in 2019-20. In his absence, Fred was beginning to impress in his new, more defensive role, and it seemed a sure thing that Matic would be leaving the club.

There was interest from other clubs in the former Chelsea star heading into the January transfer window. Goal has learned that Matic was unhappy with his lack of playing time and Solskjaer's management on the whole, and with United building a young, dynamic team, the 31-year-old's face did not seem to fit.

But having held clear-the-air talks with the Norwegian coach in the final month of 2019, Matic has since become a key component of Solskjaer's improving side over the past six months.

He has started all but two of United's league games since their victory at Turf Moor three days after Christmas, and that one-year extension has now become a fresh three-year deal that will keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2023.

"I know his experience, professionalism and leadership will be invaluable to this young talented group," Solskjaer said upon the announcement of Matic's new contract.

“We have great strength in midfield and Nemanja’s attributes are a key part of that. He remains hugely ambitious and determined which will be vital as we look to achieve our aims over the coming years."

One of those games since the turn of the year in which Matic was not named in the starting XI came in United's first match following the Covid-19 lockdown as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham.

Matic was brought off the bench with 15 minutes left in north London as United chased the game, with his stability at the base of midfield required to ensure Spurs were not able to launch counterattacks with a view to killing the game off.

He also provided composure in possession, and it is those qualities which have seen him named in each of Solskjaer's league line-ups since, with the ex-Cardiff City boss having named an unchanged team for wins over Sheffield United, Brighton and Bournemouth.

So what has changed that means Matic has gone from being out in the cold to a key part of United's strongest XI?

Getty Goal

In terms of personnel, the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January and return of Paul Pogba from injury in June has suddenly given United's midfield a more attacking edge, and as such, a calming presence is required between the two playmakers to ensure United are not caught short in defence.

Matic's selflessness and willingness to drop in between the two centre-backs has allowed both Fernandes and Pogba to flourish further forward. It also means that full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw can be encouraged to provide support in the final third, safe in the knowledge that there will always be three players between the opposition and David de Gea's goal.

Matic also brings experience that is likely to prove vital for United as they continue their transition under Solskjaer.

The average age of United's starting line-up in the Premier League this season is 24.8 years old - the youngest in the division. At 31, two-time Premier League winner Matic can provide a maturity to the United dressing room, with Solskjaer fully aware that he needs a handful of shrewd operators in his dressing room to balance out the exuberance of his young charges.

Getty Images

The key factor in United securing him to a new deal, however, has been the marked improvement he has shown in his performances.

Matic is averaging 20 more passes per game than he was in his appearances before Christmas, with 87 per cent finding their intended target.

His number of average touches has also increased while his recoveries per game have risen from five to seven.

The crowning moment of his United resurgence came at Brighton when his sublime volleyed pass into the path of Mason Greenwood led to Fernandes putting the finishing touches to United's 3-0 win over the Seagulls.

In the opening months of the season that would have been a moment few of the Old Trafford faithful would have seen coming, but this fresh, free-flowing United side have come a long way in a short amount of time.

Despite being of a different vintage to many of those around him, few have done more to facilitate the turnaround than Matic.