United Could Do Business With La Liga Giants On £140,000-A-Week Star

Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal is set to cash in on former Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata come the winter transfer window. Atletico Madrid are the club believed to be in the hunt for the Spainaid’s signature. Mata moved to Manchester United from Chelsea during the January 2014 transfer window in a then club record transfer fee of £37.1m. But after the acquisition of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid, Ander Herera from Atletic Bilbao and Radamel Falcoa on loan from AS Monaco, Mata has found himself in the same position as when he moved from Chelsea and the club look set to cash in on the former Valencia man.

Other clubs interest in signing Mata are Juventus and his boyhood club Valencia but La Liga champions Atletico Madrid look the favourite to land the playmaker come January.

Mata came to came to Chelsea from Valencia in August 2011. He quickly established himself as in integral part of the Chelsea team winning the FA cup and the Champions league in his first season at the club. He also won the Europa cup and emerged as Chelsea Player of the season in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 seasons. Mata will however, become surplus to requirement after Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea in the summer of 2013, prompting his sale to a David Moyes led Manchester United.

Mata has not quite hit the height he used to be at Chelsea since joining United and after the summer arrival of Di Maria, Falcoa and compatriot Herera, there are rumours he may find limited playing time in. New coach Louis Van Gaal is ready to sacrifice Mata in order to accommodate Captain Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Falcoa, Di Maria in the starting eleven.

United are said to be willing to take up to a £13.1 million loss on Juan Mata when the transfer window re-opens in January, with Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Valencia all lining up £24 million bids for the Spanish playmaker. United are also looking at the possibility of using Juan Mata in a player-plus-cash deal to land Juventus’ Arturo Vidal.

Most Manchester United fans will want the club to keep Mata but will that be best option for both the player and the club? Mata is an intelligent player, very skillful with the ball and can play anywhere behind the striker but those positions have been taking up already by club record signing- Di Maria, Rooney and Robin Van Persie. Mata at just 26 needs to be playing regularly which was the reason he left Chelsea in the first place. United on the other hand can’t keep a player of Mata’s wage on the bench game after games. It will be in the benefit of the club if Mata is allowed to seek pasture new.

A move to Atletico Madrid will be best for the 26-year-old, though he will be greatly welcomed at Valencia, a club he represented for four years. Mata will be a great addition to any of these Spanish team even as both teams are looking at mounting a title challenge.