Can Manchester United’s latest superstar become the new Cantona?

The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Manchester United’s defeat on penalties at home to Sunderland was the nadir of a season chock-a-block with contenders for that particular crown. The penalties themselves were the wretched icing on top of a particularly awful cake, coming as they did after one of the worst home performances in living memory. Those fans exiting the ground on Wednesday night could have been forgiven if they abandoned all hope and accepted the notion that their team’s time as a major force in British football had finally come to an end. Enter, via helicopter, Juan Mata.

United have paid £37.1m for the Spaniard and it is not hyperbolic to suggest the signing has captured the fans’ imagination like no other in years, possibly since the arrival of the young Wayne Rooney. There is a widespread feeling that Mata could be David Moyes’ very own Eric Cantona, a player of tremendous flair with the ability to make things happen and drag his team over the line when the situation demands.

Moyes was roundly pilloried for deciding against signing Mesut Ozil but rumour has it he was waiting to see what Shinji Kagawa had to offer after hearing great things about the Japanese international from his predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson. With United’s season an unmitigated disaster, the manager needed to do something during the January transfer window and the addition of a major rival’s star man sends out a clear message; the end of the empire is not yet a reality.

For a team struggling to create chances and score goals, Mata is a godsend. His statistics speak for themselves; here is a man who managed 20 goals and 35 assists last season alone. Even this campaign, in which he was largely considered surplus to requirements by Jose Mourinho, the midfielder managed to create 30 chances in just 13 league appearances for Chelsea.

Before Mourinho’s return, Mata was the Player of the Year at Stamford Bridge two seasons in a row. He was well on course to becoming the next Gianfranco Zola, a classy and loveable icon with a genuine claim to being one of the club’s greatest ever players. He helped his team secure the Champions League and Europa League in successive seasons because he deals in results. Assists, goals and trophies are the currency of Mata and, as such, he is an ideal signing for United at this moment in team. United’s record signing will be worth every penny if he can help fire his new side into the top four this term and onto better things in the coming seasons.