The Story:
After months of hassling around and rumours of uncertainty swirling among the media outlets, Juan Mata has finally signed a contract extension of one year. The Spaniard’s previous contract was running out this summer but the manager and the club have triggered an option to extend it by another year. Mata has always been a committed footballer and gives his all while playing in the United shirt.
He secured a transfer to Old Trafford when David Moyes brought him from Chelsea for a then club record fee with the Red Devils in serious trouble. Though the team suffered their worst ever season in the Premier League era, Mata has performed consistently ever since and has become an integral member of the attacking department for Manchester United.
However, since the arrival of Jose Mourinho, there were clouds of doubt over Juan Mata’s stay at Old Trafford. The gaffer apparently fell out with Mata while at Chelsea during the first half of the 2013/14 season and was eventually shipped off to their eternal rivals for a fee worth 37.2 million pounds.
But Mata flourished under Moyes and even after he was sacked, Louis Van Gaal trusted Mata to play on the right wing. Shunted out wide, Mata restructured his playing style to adapt to the demands of the team. Nowadays, the former Valencia man can be seen all over the attacking line, finding spaces, holding the ball up for his teammates and then making the right pass in the box. Juan Mata has scored thrice and assisted the same number of times in 19 appearances this season.
More than the numbers, it is his determination and tenacity that must have impressed the manager the most. He is more than ready to track back to help his defence and boasts a passing accuracy of almost 87% in the league this season. With the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, many people thought that Mata’s career at Manchester United was done and dusted.
However, the club and the manager put aside any doubts and provided the player with a reward for his relentless work over the past years. Additionally, Juan Mata is a set-piece specialist and possesses calmness on the ball that someone like a Marcus Rashford does not, yet.
He always takes his time inside the box, assesses his options and then shoots the ball with extreme accuracy. Of the 19 shots that he has taken, nine of those shots hit the target, while four others were deflected after hitting the woodwork. His long-range shooting ability is a bonus to his overall gameplay and his experience might help the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard too.
With United still fighting in three competitions, their squad depth will be tested. Hence, Jose might have done the right thing by keeping hold of a player, whom he had lambasted back in the day.
Stat Source: Squawka