Matic sold back to Chelsea

London - Chelsea re-signed Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic on a five-and-a-half-year contract from Portuguese giants Benfica on Wednesday, the two clubs announced.

In a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange, Benfica said that they will receive €25 million for the sale of Matic, who is now set for his second spell at Stamford Bridge.

After arriving from MSK Kosice in 2009, he made three substitute appearances in the 2009/10 season and left in January 2011 as part of the deal which brought David Luiz from Benfica to west London.

News of the transfer came the day after Matic had stated his intention to move on in an interview with Portuguese sports daily A Bola.

"Now is the right time to leave. I want to improve myself, I want to play in a better league and I want to go to Chelsea," he was quoted as saying.