Jose Mourinho refused to be drawn on speculation that he could once again be reunited with Nemanja Matic this summer.
Manchester United are facing an exodus once the season comes to an end and Matic will be among six players to leave Old Trafford for nothing upon the expiration of their contracts. Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Lee Grant will also be following him out of the door.
Despite turning 34 in August, the defensive midfielder has shown no sign of calling time on his career and has been heavily linked with a move to Mourinho's Roma ahead of the summer. Matic has played more games for the Portuguese than any other coach as he was signed by him for Chelsea before then being recruited at United.
However, while full of compliments for Matic, Mourinho wouldn't reveal if he had any plans to sign the Serbian for the third time. He told Sky Sports: "I never like to speak about players.
"I don't think it's good for me, for the club, for the players. Everybody knows my relation with Nemanja, he is one of the guys of my trust. We worked together we fought together in United and he is a fantastic player. But that is the kind of answer that is not good for me or for the player."
It was thought that Matic's contract at United actually ran until 2023 so it was a shock when he announced he would be leaving the club last month. He wrote in a statement on Instagram: “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 team-mates finish as strongly as possible.”
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