Juan Mata

[CHOULO19 24,332]

reus is a BVB player, draxler is a schalke player, robben is a bayern player and di maria is an RM player.

we cant do anything about those guys. what we can and should do is not willingly and stupidly help the most successful team in the premier league history (one which has won 20 PL titles and about 12/13 in the last 20 years). like i said, that is plain stupid.

Exactly. We can't do anything to stop them from strengthening because it is out of our hands. But since they are inevitable going to strengthen, why don't we take the 40m without significantly weakening our team?

With 40m for Mata, they will be strengthening us with the signings we will like make with that money, much more than we will be strengthening them.

[milka 3,359]

Manchester United provisionally agree £40m Mata deal with Chelsea

Manchester United and Chelsea have come to a provisional agreement over the sale of Juan Mata, according to The Guardian. The 25-year old attacking midfielder is yet to be subject of a formal bid by the Premier League champions, but the two clubs are at an ‘advanced stage’ in the transfer.

Although an official offer hasn’t been made yet, sources close to both camps believe the deal could be agreed before the end of the week, after Mata himself told Jose Mourinho he would like to move away from Stamford Bridge. Although £40m seems like a lot to pay, it could have a similar effect to Mesut Ozil joining Arsenal. It’d give the whole camp a lift and we’d hopefully push on and earn a spot in that top four.

What a coup Juan Mata would be if we could pull it off. It’d also go a long way to easing Manchester United fans’ concerns about the lack of players coming in through the Old Trafford doors.

Hopefully we’ll hear Moyes’ thoughts on the situation when he gets in front of a camera before the Sunderland game tonight.

[Jase 43,479]

A LOT can and will change before next season. United will spend and rebuild if they intend to whether we sell them Mata or not. If it isn't Mata it'll be Reus or Draxler or Robben or Di Maria..etc.

That might be true but we could actually be helping them to do so by selling Mata. It would improve their chances to finish 4th and if they do, they'll have that CL to attract big players to come. However if we don't sell Mata to them, then their chances to finish 4th is as low as it is right and hardly any big players would want to join a club outside the CL, even if it's United. And besides, the fact that playing for Moyes is hardly an attraction will make things worse should that scenario happen.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

There won't be too many AM is better than Mata and available for United to buy, even there has, at least I don't need to live with the scenario of Mata wearing United's kit banging goals and delivering assists week in week out.

Looks like we just have to agree to disagree then mate.

I actually see your point, and I don't disagree with it. But your reasons are sentimental. Our board doesn't think like that. And probably that is the best way to run a football club nowadays.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

That might be true but we could actually be helping them to do so by selling Mata. It would improve their chances to finish 4th and if they do, they'll have that CL to attract big players to come. However if we don't sell Mata to them, then their chances to finish 4th is as low as it is right and hardly any big players would want to join a club outside the CL, even if it's United. And besides, the fact that playing for Moyes is hardly an attraction will make things worse should that scenario happen.

If it's not them, it's Tottenham, or Liverpool. Someone will get the CL spot and be a rival for us next season.

Honestly, I would rather that be united because if Liverpool or Tottenham get CL and manage to attract top players, they scare me much more than united would because Spurs have an excellent squad with great potential and Liverpool have a great working system while United have neither.

[yuvala 2,167]

Would you guys feel like Mata "betrayed" us by going to United? (if it happens ofc)

Personally I wouldn't feel this way because I know how much he loves Chelsea and well you can't expect a player like him to be a bench warmer..

[Fernando 6,496]

I don't think a lot of people here are Chelsea fan.

Because how can you be so fast to throw abuse to the club when nothing has happened?

And it's not the first time I seen it happen here...

[Ryan Fong 2,776]

I actually see your point, and I don't disagree with it. But your reasons are sentimental. Our board doesn't think like that. And probably that is the best way to run a football club nowadays.

I understand, business is business after all and I trust Mourinho's decision whatever the outcome will be. Just as a fan, i have a really hard time to accept Mata is a United player. Personally in this matter, no Rooney no talk.

Well, maybe all of these are just media bullcrap and we're wasting our efforts to discuss lol.

[Jase 43,479]

If it's not them, it's Tottenham, or Liverpool. Someone will get the CL spot and be a rival for us next season.

Honestly, I would rather that be united because if Liverpool or Tottenham get CL and manage to attract top players, they scare me much more than united would because Spurs have an excellent squad with great potential and Liverpool have a great working system while United have neither.

Yes but United have ambition as well, they want to rebuild their squad and get back to where they are. Why should we help them to become a successful force again? Selling them Mata will essentially be a stepping stone in them doing so.

[francozola 2,040]

If it's not them, it's Tottenham, or Liverpool. Someone will get the CL spot and be a rival for us next season.

Honestly, I would rather that be united because if Liverpool or Tottenham get CL and manage to attract top players, they scare me much more than united would because Spurs have an excellent squad with great potential and Liverpool have a great working system while United have neither.

We shouldn't be selling him within England at all. There are plenty of other European clubs who would be interested. Maybe they'd pay less... even if it's 10million less, what the heck is 10m for a club like us.

The potential backlash that could happen to us if Utd (or whoever we sell to in England) get stronger is much worse as we are directly competing with them.

This is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion.

I'm not against selling Juan. He doesn't fit into Jose's plans and ideas and he deserves to be a starter. But I don't care if he wants to stay in England. For the good of Chelsea, he should not be sold to a direct rival. It's as simple as that in my eyes.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

To be honest we don`t want to see Ramires playing on the wing anymore.His technical limitation shines there trough even more.

He's not a great fit for the centre either. You really want Ramires being the guy who controls the attack and temp of the game? He's not ideal on the wing, but we don't really play with wingers and while Ramires as an attacking midfielder is problematic, it's never been nearly as bad as people pretend. He opens up space for our other attackers and is one of our best finishers from up close. Anyway, pretty much every manager has put him there at one point.

[Steve 10,227]

To be fair, if we could get the reported 37-42 million quad for him, it would be worth taking. We could potentially bring in two world class players for that sort of money. I understand it's to one of our biggest rivals, but that said it's also a risk for them. They play completely different football to us, He might fit in, he might not. If we could bring in Diego Costa and Luke Shaw for the money we get for Mata, I feel like it would be a very good bit of business!

It pains me so much to say that, as Juan is one of my favourite players. But I am looking at it for the future of our club. One player doesn't make the team.

[didierforever 7,349]

Exactly. We can't do anything to stop them from strengthening because it is out of our hands. But since they are inevitable going to strengthen, why don't we take the 40m without significantly weakening our team?

With 40m for Mata, they will be strengthening us with the signings we will like make with that money, much more than we will be strengthening them.

what signing? tell me how it strengthens our squad right now and with what signing exactly?

and since RM and PSG are ineviyably going to strengthen, lets sell them hazard and oscar too. with the 100mil and 40mil... we can probably strengthen ourselves even more.

[Jase 43,479]

He's not a great fit for the centre either. You really want Ramires being the guy who controls the attack and temp of the game? He's not ideal on the wing, but we don't really play with wingers and while Ramires as an attacking midfielder is problematic, it's never been nearly as bad as people pretend. He opens up space for our other attackers and is one of our best finishers from up close. Anyway, pretty much every manager has put him there at one point.

Saying Ramires opens up space for others and is one of the best finishers as reasons to play at RW seems somewhat nonsensical. We have seen him played countless of times in that position and I don't think he genuinely had any real success there. Managers only play him at RW to stop the opposition FB or attacks down that side and is only ever gonna be useful in counter-attacking situations. When he's played there against teams that sit deep, he offers literally next to nothing offensively.

To be fair, if we could get the reported 37-42 million quad for him, it would be worth taking. We could potentially bring in two world class players for that sort of money. I understand it's to one of our biggest rivals, but that said it's also a risk for them. They play completely different football to us, He might fit in, he might not. If we could bring in Diego Costa and Luke Shaw for the money we get for Mata, I feel like it would be a very good bit of business!

It pains me so much to say that, as Juan is one of my favourite players. But I am looking at it for the future of our club. One player doesn't make the team.

Thing is Steve, even if we were to sell him now, never mind to United, what are we gonna do with the squad depth till the end of the season? We'll only gonna have 4 AMs for 3 positions and that is suicidal with games coming thick and fast and if we want to win the major trophies.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Yes but United have ambition as well, they want to rebuild their squad and get back to where they are. Why should we help them to become a successful force again? Selling them Mata will essentially be a stepping stone in them doing so.

Because we would be getting 40m for our 5th choice AM?

We shouldn't be selling him within England at all. There are plenty of other European clubs who would be interested. Maybe they'd pay less... even if it's 10million less, what the heck is 10m for a club like us.

The potential backlash that could happen to us if Utd (or whoever we sell to in England) get stronger is much worse as we are directly competing with them.

This is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion.

I'm not against selling Juan. He doesn't fit into Jose's plans and ideas and he deserves to be a starter. But I don't care if he wants to stay in England. For the good of Chelsea, he should not be sold to a direct rival. It's as simple as that in my eyes.

But thing is, 40m is an astronomical figure and Juan leaving would not significantly weaken our squad. And we won't get that much after the world cup. Getting 40m now would help us carefully pick our targets in the summer and practically get whoever we want. We can spend the money on a top top player or 2-3 good players. Like I said, the 40m will strengthen us much more than Juan strengthens utd.

[Term-X 7,891]

Although you have warned of such scenario before, it's quite hilarious to see you take a 360 degrees turn on your view about Mata when you were gloriously praising him in past years.

I still praise him, he's still quality, we were blinded back then because our squad was a mere cup team, you have to put it into context. Context is everything..

[drog.ba 239]

what signing? tell me how it strengthens our squad right now and with what signing exactly?

and since RM and PSG are ineviyably going to strengthen, lets sell them hazard and oscar too. with the 100mil and 40mil... we can probably strengthen ourselves even more.

exactly, us getting £40m doesnt mean we go out and spend £40m extra on top of what we would already spend. The only thing that should be of any concern is us weakening our squad significantly (who doesn't think Mata can make the difference later in the season, especially off the bench) and strengthening Man United. We could well end up with fucking Moses or Marin back as 5th choice attacking midfielder and no one challenging Oscar and Willian when they inevitability drop in form.

Let Man United try and sign Draxler or Reus, I doubt they'd be able to get them, probably ending up with another Fellaini. On that note, why are we only demanding £37m from a club who spent £28m on Fellaini?

[Term-X 7,891]

No way, absolutely no way were Gilvorak & lionsden Chelsea fans circa 2004-07.