Alex Matos fails to secure starting spot at Goztepe

United loanee Alex Matos has been faced with the task of breaking into Turkish side Goztepe’s starting line-up after a disappointing debut season found him out of favour at Sheffield United.

Matos was brought in by previous Blades boss Ruben Selles, who was let go after losing his opening six games in charge, scoring only two goals in the process.

The young midfielder arrived from Chelsea for around £1 million on a three-year contract after two impressive loan spells at Oxford United and Huddersfield Town.

However, after Chris Wilder’s return to the helm, the midfielder only made eight appearances in red and white, playing a grand total of 318 minutes for United.

After failing to break into Wilder’s plans, the 22-year-old managed to escape Bramall Lane and made the move to Turkish side Goztepe on a loan-to-buy deal in August, and got off to a flying start in Turkey.

The loanee netted just three minutes into his debut to give his side a 1-0 lead, in a 3-3 draw against Samsunspor.

Matos had enjoyed decent minutes for his new side, but hasn’t been named in the starting lineup since facing Rizespor on September 20.

Since the international break, Matos has only played 20 minutes across three games.

The defensive midfielder has impressed at times, though, making the top nine per cent of his position in Super Lig for touches in the opposition box with 2.33 per 90.

He has also averaged 6.33 defensive contributions per 90 (FotMob).

The former Chelsea prospect is faced with the task of breaking into the starting 11 once again, and will need to impress at Goztepe in order for the club to trigger the £1 million buy option.

After his impressive loan spells, his arrival at the club gave Unitedites high hopes, but he will be disappointed with how his time at Bramall Lane materialised, and will look back at his debut season for the Blades as one to forget.

It’s highly doubtful that Matos has a future at Sheffield United under Chris Wilder, but the future remains uncertain for the young midfielder who still has plenty of time to prove himself.