BENFICA MIDFIELDER NEMANJA Matic has confirmed he will be leaving the Estadio da Luz ahead of his expected switch to Chelsea.
Matic moved to Portugal in January 2011 from Chelsea as part of the deal that took David Luiz to Stamford Bridge.
The £21million that Chelsea paid for Luiz is also thought to be the amount that will also pry Matic from the Lisbon club.
And the Serbia international, who was named Primeira Liga Player of the Year last season, thanked Benfica for their support, while looking ahead to his Premier League return.
“I have played my last game here,” he told A Bola. “I want to thank all the people at the club and all the supporters. Benfica will forever be in my heart.
“I played here for two and a half years. I gave my best in every training session, every match, and now is the right time to leave.
“I want to improve, I want to go to a better league and I want to go to Chelsea, the club which I also love.”
Matic originally signed for Chelsea in August 2009 from MFK Kosice in his homeland and made just two Premier League appearances, spending the 2010-11 campaign in the Eredivisie on loan at Vitesse.