Chelsea signed the 25-year-old from Benfica on Wednesday
for a fee of €25m three years after allowing him to leave London as part of the
David Luiz deal.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has declared his delight at
re-signing Nemanja Matic, lauding him as a "fantastic all-round
midfielder."
The Serbia international left Chelsea for Benfica in 2011
as part of the Blues' move to sign David Luiz but sealed his return to Stamford
Bridge on Wednesday in a €25m deal.
Mourinho has hailed the
deal, insisting the 25-year-old will become a vital member of a squad chasing
honours at home and in Europe this season.
"I am very pleased that Nemanja is returning to
Chelsea," Mourinho told the club's official website.
"He has grown as a player in Portugal and has become
a fantastic all-round midfielder. I am sure he will become a very important
member of the squad and help us to achieve our ambitions."
The defensive midfielder failed to impress in his first
spell at the club, spending one of his three seasons with the west Londoners on
loan at feeder club Vitesse.
Matic returns to compete with the likes of John Obi
Mikel, Frank Lampard, Ramires and Michael Essien for a first-team place and he
feels confident that he can make more of an impact this time around.
Matic told the club's official website: "I am very
happy for this opportunity to be back at this club.
"I feel very good because of that and just want to
say I will give my best to help the team and make the Chelsea fans happy."
Culled from Goal
