Rumour: Manchester United bid £37M for Chelsea's Juan Mata

It’s the report that none of the Chelsea fans around the world wanted to read this morning. As expected and in light of his current situation at Chelsea, Juan Mata is the subject of a reported £37m bid from Manchester United!

It’s being reported all over the place but also in The Telegraph so expect there to be some substance to this one.

Around the web this morning from various news sources, it’s also being reported that Chelsea are holding out for £40m and have named that as the price that they would be willing to sell the player!

I cannot believe that we are reading something like this happening. Chelsea’s player of the year for the past two seasons running. Who would have thought it would come to this at the beginning of the current season?

Chelsea fans know too well that money talks and with the World Cup in Rio looming ever closer, first team football in Manchester could be an option he would like to consider to revive his season and his chances of making the plane to Rio!

Jose Mourinho has said time and time again that he is part of his plans and both he and the club do not want Juan Mata to leave. However, in recent weeks, we have seen Mata named on the bench and sit there playing no part in our games. How can any of us forget his last appearance in a Chelsea shirt at Southampton and his reaction to being withdrawn early into the second half!

As much as I love Juan Mata and the fantastic ability he has (I still believe he has the best first touch of a football I have ever seen!), it’s time for all of us to accept reality.

Chelsea have a massive decision to make here, £37m is a lot of money and do they accept the bid that is £3m short of their reported price or do they hold out for more?

I still believe that Chelsea will want Wayne Rooney to be involved in one way or the other with perhaps an agreement being reached with United, giving Chelsea first refusal if he decides to leave but I can’t see him being involved in a swap deal at this stage of the season.

I sincerely hope that Juan Mata turns the move down and re-affirms his intentions to stay here and to continue to fight for his place in the team but the longer it goes on with him being the opposite, I am having to face up to the fact that he could now leave to join Manchester United.