Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confessed that he did not expect to be offered the chance to sign top midfield target Nemanja Matic from Chelsea in the summer.

The Portuguese was on the lookout for defensive-midfield reinforcements during the off-season and, to the surprise of many, managed to pull off a major coup by bringing in Matic from his former club.

Mourinho has revealed that the player's agent got in touch to instigate the transfer, which has proved to be one of the signings of the season so far as the 29-year-old has stood out in the Premier League and Champions League.

"I was surprised when [Matic's] agent called me to say 'do you want him?," he told Sky Sports News. "I was surprised, but he's an agent I know well.

"Normally he's very direct and objective, he doesn't waste time, he doesn't try to get people to be interested in his players to improve their situation at their club. Normally he's very straightforward, so when he told me 'you can have him if you want', of course I want."

Matic has played every minute of United's Premier League and Champions League campaign to date, registering his only assist in the 4-0 win over Everton on September 17.