Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic joins AS Roma on free transfer

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has joined Serie A club AS Roma on a free transfer in the ongoing 2022 summer transfer window.

The 33-year-old Matic signed a one-year contract with Roma, the Giallorossi confirmed in an official release on Tuesday.

"I am pleased and honoured to be joining this club and I cannot wait to start the new season with my teammates. Roma is a big club, with amazing fans and a coach, Jose Mourinho, who is well known to everyone – making the decision to come here very straightforward. I hope that by working together we are able to achieve some great things," said Matic after signing with Roma.

Matic's move to Roma has reunited him with his former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho, who has been at the helm of Roma since 2021. The two worked together at Manchester United between 2013 and 2015.

Across five seasons at Old Trafford, Matic made a total of 189 appearances in all competitions. The defensive midfielder also contributed with four goals and 11 assists. The only trophy he won with Manchester United was the FA Cup in the 2017-18 season, which coincidently came under Mourinho's reign.

"Matic confirmed in April that he would bring his time at United to an end, upon the expiry of his contract, and he was included on our list of 11 released players submitted to the Premier League on Friday," Manchester United wrote in their official release.

The Old Trafford club also confirmed that other first-team players such as Edinson Cavani, Lee Grant, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba are also leaving the club, with their deals expiring at the end of June.

Former Manchester United head coach Mourinho has already worked with two former Reds at Roma, in Matic's old team-mates Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Mourinho-managed Roma recently triumphed in the first-ever Europa Conference League, after beating Feyenoord 1-0 in the final.