Despite being part of a title-winning side in two of the last three seasons, it looks as though Chelsea may be willing to offload Nemanja Matic to Manchester United.

The Independent are reporting that the Blues are looking to sell the Serb in a bid to fund a £35m move for Monaco's Tiemoue Bakayoko.

But selling the 28-year-old, who made 30 league starts as Chelsea won the title last season by seven points, would be a huge mistake on Antonio Conte's part.

First of all, you only need to take a look at Matic's talent. Aside from a dodgy 2015 under Jose Mourinho (at a time where top-class talents like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa also underperformed), the 28-year-old has been a solid performer for the Blues.

Matic has a solid start for Chelsea after rejoining the Blues in January 2014 and managed to help them secure their fourth league title the following year.

While the title defence starting badly for all concerned, the Serb managed to improve under Guus Hiddink's stewardship before coming back into the fray to help his side to the league last year.

That title-winning experience should not be discounted easily.

Another reason is purely Matic's numbers last year. While he was an anchor man under Mourinho, having Player of the Year N'Golo Kante next to him has allowed the 28-year-old to impress in more of a deep-lying playmaker role.

While he defended well for his side an average 1.5 tackles and 1.4 interceptions over the course of the season, it his his seven assists that show his improvement in an attacking role.

Plus, let's not forget his penchant for a long-range strike - like his rocket of a goal that changed the game in the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Another issue Conte would face is how well his replacement would fare in the Premier League. While Bakayoko moving to a different country and learning to adapt to a new culture is one thing, adapting to a new club and manager - particularly one as demanding as Conte - is another kettle of fish. Getting rid of a proven player like Matic before the new signing has even bedded in would be a recipe for disaster.

Finally, another reason Chelsea should not be looking to sell is simply because they would be strengthening a direct rival. While United finished sixth and 24 points behind the Blues, they were prioritising the Europa League and will likely improve this season - especially if they sign a top class striker to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

A central midfield of Matic, Herrera and Pogba would be a formidable one - particularly in big games as Mourinho will look to make a wall in midfield and shut his rivals out - while the Frenchman in particular would flourish with two ball winners of that quality behind him.

And while Matic struggled for a little while under Mourinho, let us not forget he managed to win the league under the Portuguese not long ago.

If he was to repeat that feat again, Conte would end up pretty red-faced.

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