Juan Mata must be the unluckiest footballer in England right now. Joining Manchester United after being cast out of his plans by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea two years ago his former boss is now at the helm of his current club.
It might be a case of Deja Vu for Mata. With the arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, it looks like the Spaniard will once again have to find another club to play at. But there is still hope that Mourinho might decide to keep him at the club.
He might have six months to impress Mourinho until the January transfer window comes around but there are still a lot of reasons why the Portuguese should consider keeping the playmaker.
5) One of the most consistent players
Some of you might disagree with this but Mata has been performing at consistent level barring his one bad season Mata has been very crucial to all the clubs he has played for so far in his career.
This is a guy who was voted Chelsea’s player of the season for the first two years he was at the club, was one of the most creative forces along under Van Gaal’s first season in charge and also created the most number of chances in a Red shirt for United last season.
Yes, sometimes he does frustrate and go off the boil on occasion but there is no denying his quality and at 28 he still has a few good years left in him. Mourinho and Mata do have a past but there is no reason why both of them can’t put that behind them.
4) He gives Mourinho a different option in attack
Jose has begun his own rebuilding project on a United team that many criticised heavily last season. He first purchased a new defender in Eric Bailly, relieving Daley Blind of his defensive duties.
He then reunited himself with Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the Swedish striker announcing the move on his Instagram post. And most recently Mkhitaryan has joined the ranks, the player that has put Mata's place in jeopardy.
But the arrival of another playmaker doesn't necessarily mean the Spaniard has no room in the squad. Mata provides Mourinho with a different approach to attack. His quick movements and smart play are qualities any manager would love to have in his team.
He also gives an option from the bench. Mata will give defences something different to worry about and his quickness of thought could help decide tight contests.
3) Versatility
Memphis Depay was a complete disaster for United last season. Add to that the number of injuries Van Gaal had to deal with, the Red Devils were in a real pickle and were short of options up front.
But thanks to Marcus Rashford and other youngsters United were able to sail smoothly through the injury storm. Mourinho can’t bank on his youngsters to deliver again and if he needs a to fill a position in attack he can turn to the versatile No 10.
Mata can play in several roles across the midfield. He is primarily a central midfielder but can also play on the left and the right wing. During his Chelsea days Mata was playing in the No. 10 role in behind the striker, but was also utilized on the right.
He also played on the left in his very first season with the Blues with a tendency to cut inside. Mourinho decided Mata should not be part of his plans because of his inability to win the ball back as well as his other midfield options could.
But used in the right way Mata’s playmaking abilities rival that of the best in the world.
2) His match-winning ability
We have all seen what Mata can do with that left wand of his. His free-kick against Manchester United while has was at Chelsea, the brilliant Scissors kick against Liverpool two seasons ago are strikes that prove he is a game changer.
Given the right kind of freedom and system to play in, Mata can produce the extraordinary on more than one occasion. Winning the Premier League is all about having game changers in your team and you can never have enough of them.
Mata will also form a great partnership with the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His reason for failure under Mourinho at Chelsea was the lack of confidence he got from not playing on a regular basis.
There will be a compromise to be made by both parties but Jose can get the best out the Spaniard if he uses him wisely.
1) He might come back to haunt Mourinho
Now Mourinho can control whether Mata stays or not but he might not have as much say in where he wants to go. United can refuse to sell him to a rival but if it becomes absolutely impossible to deny a huge offer.
Last time Jose was wise enough to sell Mata after Chelsea had already faced Manchester United twice in the league, so it did not directly affect them. If Mata is sold in the summer and he invariably joins a rival then it becomes a problem for Mourinho.
There are some rumours swirling around that Juan will join Everton who are under new ownership and are aiming to break into the top four. He might be the instigator for them and really help them push for a place in the Champions league.
But he is still a Manchester United player and Mourinho might just find a way to incorporate him in his system but it doesn't look very likely after the first warm up game that he’ll be sticking around for too long.
