3 reasons why Chelsea could regret selling Matic to Manchester United

Some Chelsea fans felt the Monday blues a little more this week as news finally broke that Nemanja Matic was sold to Manchester United, completing a reunion with Jose Mourinho and leaving Antonio Conte's midfield a little thin.

While Matic's move wasn't a shock transfer, it could be a sale the Blues come to regret in the future. (It certainly felt that pang after selling him to SL Benfica in 2011, before buying him back in 2014.)

Here are a few reasons why Chelsea might come to lament this latest move:

Bakayoko shoved into spotlight

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Matic's sale to United allowed Chelsea to recoup the £40 million paid to AS Monaco for defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. But with Matic gone, the pressure is now on for the 22-year-old to quickly adapt to the trials of England's top flight, his new teammates, and Conte's preferred 3-4-3 formation.

Matic was an important part of Conte's system last season, partnering with N'Golo Kante in the middle, but he and his role were replaced by the more creative Cesc Fabregas in the tail end of the year. However, Fabregas couldn't replicate Matic's tireless work-rate. While Bakayoko certainly offers the kind of physicality needed to thrive in the Premier League, it is still unknown to him.

How he figures into Conte's plans remains to be seen, but he'll have to overcome those tribulations fast, or Chelsea might be in trouble.

Depth now a concern in busy year

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Bakayoko is one of three midfielders available to Conte at the moment. Each is of starting quality, but do they have the legs to survive a long campaign? That's the question Conte and the club will need to answer in this title-defence year, one now jam-packed with Champions League football.

Both Jose Mourinho and Leicester City's Claudio Ranieri were given the sack in the year following their successful Premier League campaigns, though neither had to worry about European competition in their respective title-winning seasons. Conte has thus made clear he wants to avoid a "Mourinho season" of his own.

That means his side needs to survive the travel-heavy season ahead, a task made more difficult if the most tiring midfield position is as thin as it is now. As such, the Blues will need to acquire a fourth midfielder to help spread the load, or risk the sort of fatigue that causes domestic and continental crash-outs.

United empowered and emboldened

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If Bakayoko does perform admirably and Chelsea signs another midfielder, the Blues still have a Mourinho-shaped problem to deal with up in Manchester, as Matic's sale also strengthened a huge title rival. In the club's announcement, Mourinho said the Serbia man represents everything he wants in a footballer: "Loyalty, consistency, ambition, team player."

A combination of Matic and Ander Herrera also opens up the frightening prospect of a Paul Pogba finally being released of the defensive responsibilities that have perhaps shackled him so far at Old Trafford, while affording Mourinho the ability to bunker down in midfield and draw out a result if needed.

Chelsea hasn't exactly shied away from selling to rivals before - Petr Cech to Arsenal, Juan Mata to United, and Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool are a few recent examples. But come May of 2018, Chelsea might most regret selling Matic to a title-contending United side, and may rue the sale entirely if he hoists the Premier League trophy wearing red instead of blue.