Jose Mourinho completely changes course with Manchester United star
Jose Mourinho wants to keep Juan Mata at United
When Jose Mourinho took the job as Manchester United’s manager this summer, most people assumed that Juan Mata’s time at Old Trafford was over. In a shocking turn of events, it now seems that The Special One’s arrival is set to land Mata a new deal with the Premier League giants.
Reports from England claim that United and Mata are working on a deal that would keep the Spaniard in Manchester for the long haul. His current deal keeps him with the club for two more seasons, but reportedly each side is anxious to extend the agreement well past the current length of time.
In all fairness, those who have watched United closely during Mourinho’s reign shouldn’t be surprised by the news. Mata has been an important figure for the Portuguese manager. He’s arguably been the club’s best number ten on the young season.
In just five Premier League matches he’s already notched two goals and one assist. His Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.21 also supports the notion that he’s been an above average midfielder under Mourinho.
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Both men deserve some credit for how they’ve handled the situation. Their relationship at Chelsea certainly didn’t end well. Even more troubling, was how the two prideful men had taken shots at one another in the media since their high-profile breakup.
When Mourinho subbed Mata off after coming on as a substitute during the opening Community Shield match, it seemed that the situation would blow up once again. The manager insisted he did so for tactical purposes, but many believed he was trying to show Mata up. Ultimately, it seems that Mourinho was telling the truth.
That’s the only logical explanation considering how willing he’s been to play Mata since the season opener. The fact that he’s already started four Premier League matches make the manager’s feelings pretty clear.
Even so, looking to lock up Mata past the age of 30 seems like a questionable personnel decision for the club. He’s been good so far this season, but not great. His game doesn’t figure to do anything but decline moving forward. It’s fair to question how much United will really need Mata once he reaches his 30s.
That doesn’t change how surprising this situation is. The fact that Juan Mata seems set to sign a new deal with Manchester United might be the biggest shock of the 2016-17 Premier League season.
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