Barcelona have made their interest in Juan Mata known to the Manchester United star, who is keen on leaving Old Trafford following the arrival of Jose Mourinho as manager. The Spaniard could be the subject of a sensational summer swoop, with the Catalans hoping that Mata’s unsettlement will allow them to obtain a ready-made alternative to Andres Iniesta on the cheap.
According to a report in Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo, Mata has already made his intentions known by arriving in Barcelona last week to hash out a deal. The Spaniards representatives reportedly made contact with Jose Mourinho’s following his announcement as Manchester United manager, seeking assurances about Mata’s playing time, but were apparently rebuffed.
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It’s rather harsh on Mata, who has been a club favourite for both Manchester United and Chelsea, but was forced out by the arrival of Mourinho. Mata has been one of the few bright spots in Manchester United’s season, scoring 10 goals and assisting 11 in 54 appearances for the Red Devils, including a goal in the FA Cup final.
However, despite Louis van Gaal using him with great regularity, the Spaniard is ill-suited to Mourinho’s system which places a great defensive onus on attacking midfielders and wingers. Thus, Mata might opt for a tempting move to Barcelona to play in a system that suits his playing style, says the report.
Mata had come close to joining Barcelona in the past
Before Juan Mata turned up on English shores in the colours of Chelsea, the Spaniard was setting La Liga alight with Valencia. The report in Mundo Deportivo claimed that the former Valencia star had fielded an offer from Barcelona, but opted to join Chelsea instead, acquiescing to a big-money offer.
Barcelona made yet another effort to sign Mata after he had transferred to Manchester United in the summer of 2014, but the diminutive Spaniard opted to stay at Old Trafford.
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Reports in the Spanish press also note that the Catalans are hoping that they will have to pay a significantly lesser amount than the €45 million Manchester United parted with to pry him away from Chelsea. With Mata having been left out of the Spanish Euro squad, Barcelona will hope that the regularity of playing in La Liga will offer Mata a path to resurrect his international career.
Champions League football and the lure of playing with Barcelona’s famous trident of Leo Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are also points in Barcelona’s favour, with a summer swoop looking increasingly likely.
