In 2017, Nemanja Matic made a £40million move from Chelsea to Manchester United. However, before the transfer was officially announced, a photo of Matic wearing his new United training shirt was circulating on social media. This led to fans knowing about the transfer before it was formally announced. Matic has since admitted that he accidentally leaked the transfer himself.
During an appearance on the Red Devils’ UTD podcast, Matic revealed how the photo came to light. He explained that he took the picture himself, not to put it on social media, but to share it with a group of around 50 people from his village in Serbia on WhatsApp. These were the guys he grew up with, and they were texting him every two minutes to ask if the deal was done and if he had signed for United.
For two days, Matic didn’t reply to any of their messages. However, when he woke up one day and saw 70 messages from them, he decided to send them a selfie. He was doing his medical test at the time, and he thought it would be a good way to let his friends know that the deal was done. Unfortunately, they probably sent the selfie to some friends, and the power of social media did the rest.
The day after Matic’s photo leaked, Manchester United announced the deal. Matic went on to play 189 times for the Red Devils, scoring four times, including their goal of the season in 2017-18 for an effort against Crystal Palace. Last summer, he departed from Manchester United to reunite with his former boss Jose Mourinho at Roma.
Since joining Roma, Matic has been a regular in the Italian capital, appearing 37 times for the Serie A club so far. Despite leaving Manchester United, Matic has fond memories of his time at Old Trafford. He has praised the club’s fans for their support and has spoken highly of his former teammates.
Matic’s accidental leak of his transfer to Manchester United is a reminder of the power of social media. In today’s world, it’s easy for information to spread quickly, and even the smallest mistake can have big consequences. However, Matic’s story also shows that sometimes mistakes can lead to positive outcomes. His selfie may have leaked his transfer, but it also gave his friends and fans something to celebrate.