Chicago Fire recently made a bold attempt to bring a Premier League star to MLS, entering negotiations with Manchester United’s midfielder Nemanja Matic. However, according to several reports, Fire failed in their bid and is forced to turn to other targets to fill the club’s remaining designated player spot.
With Matic set to become a free agent in the summer and struggling to get playing time in Man Utd, Fire decided to use the opportunity and try to lure the 31-year-old Serbian to the United States. The two sides kicked off negotiations early this week, but they quickly realized that making an agreement would be impossible.
Reportedly, Fire was hoping to make Matic their new DP and offered him a contract with a yearly salary of around $6.5 million. The player and his agent, however, returned with a counteroffer that was way beyond what Chicago could give him and effectively killed the deal.
Nemanja Matic was one of the key players in Manchester United’s midfield in recent years but dropped out of rotation almost completely this season. With manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deciding to put faith in his younger players, Matic was limited to only nine appearances in all competitions.
Due to his status on the team, Matic is pushing for an exit and hopes to make a transfer before the January transfer window ends. On the other hand, Man Utd is hoping to recoup some of the money they invested in him and might trigger their club option in order to prevent the player from leaving for free.
