Nemanja Matic to Manchester United Reportedly Blocked After Romelu Lukaku Deal

Chelsea are reportedly "no longer willing to do business" with Manchester United regarding Nemanja Matic after they beat the Blues to Everton striker Romelu Lukaku. 

According to Andrea Ramazzotti of Corriere dello Sport (h/t James Cambridge of the Express), Inter Milan have emerged as potential suitors for the midfielder and club director of football Walter Sabatini is already in talks over a move.

The story made the Italian newspaper's front page, per Chelsea fan account Conteholic on Twitter:

Matic looks set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer as Tiemoue Bakayoko's expected arrival from Monaco will leave him surplus to requirements.

United were said to be in pole position to snap him up, but they may have burned that bridge now, per football writer Liam Canning:

The news that Chelsea are seemingly unwilling to let Matic head to Old Trafford as a result may be welcomed by some United fans, given he turns 29 on August 1 and isn't especially mobile.

Indeed, he'd be well-suited to Inter and the slightly slower pace of Serie A.

Nevertheless, while there are better and younger midfield options available this summer than Matic, signing him is a far better alternative to failing to reinforce at all.

Bleacher Report's Nick Akerman believes the Red Devils could do worse than the Serbian this summer even if he wouldn't be the first choice:

Matic has played an important role in winning two Premier League titles for Chelsea in the last three years, so even if he's not as dynamic as you'd like, he's more than capable of doing a job at Old Trafford.

If he is no longer available to United, they will need to step up their efforts elsewhere, as they cannot afford to have Marouane Fellaini and a 36-year-old Michael Carrick as the top contenders for a place alongside Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera in midfield if they're to win the title or compete in the UEFA Champions League.