When Pep Guardiola introduced his tiki-taka style of football, the world saw the game of football change overnight. His Barcelona team played some high-quality football and demolished who crossed their path. Led by the iconic Lionel Messi and a host of Spanish talent in behind, Barcelona conquered Europe.
It led to the development of some truly remarkable footballers in Spain with the national team adopting a similar footballing philosophy. It allowed the then manager of the Spanish national team, Luis Aragones and then Vicente Del Bosque to win two European Championships and one FIFA World Cup.
All of this was achieved with supremely gifted, technical players who could hold on to the ball for weeks at a stretch and pass it around just for fun without losing possession. The likes of David Silva, Xavi and Iniesta had become the heartbeat of the national team. One player who was just as gifted in the technical aspect but failed to make a long-lasting impression on the national team was Juan Mata.
The little Spaniard was a product of Real Madrid Castilla but unable to break into the first team, he decided to move to Valencia. He produced some glamorously intelligent football there and earned himself a move to Chelsea who paid £23.5 million for his services back in 2011.
At Chelsea, he became the club’s chief creator and was instrumental in helping the club lift their inaugural Champions League in his debut season. Over the next year, he formed a deadly combination with Eden Hazard but Jose Mourinho’s arrival to the club saw the Spaniard fall out of favour and he was given an exit with Manchester United buying the player for £37.1 million.
At United, Mata failed to have the same impact he did in London. He has been a bit part player for the club and has failed to become an integral cog in the Red Devils’ machine. With Alexis Sanchez set to join Old Trafford in the coming days, it seems Mata’s place in United’s attack would be under even more threat. To help the Spaniard rejuvenate his career, his old club Valencia is reportedly readying a bid for him.
With Mata’s contract expiring in the summer, he could be ready to join the Spanish side for free. However, United who has a clause to extend one year on his contract would want to exercise that option to extract some money for the transfer of the 29-year old. It would also be a risk Mourinho would have to take with some calculation as Mata is on a £170k-a-week wage at Old Trafford and should Valencia retract their interest, they would be left playing the player for another year even though they can do without him.
