Mata on the move: Five potential destinations for Man Utd maestro

Poor Juan Mata can’t seem to win. Everytime the well-mannered Spaniard settles, he suddenly finds his face no longer fits. The talented Spain star was Chelsea’s Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons before being dropped to the bench, and then given the boot by Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

It seemed like Mata had finally found a permanent home at Old Trafford, but despite also recording impressive stats for Manchester United (who are 33/1 to win the Premier League), it appears that the playmaker does not fit into Louis van Gaal’s system either.

Coral writers take a look at potential destinations where the Real Madrid Castilla academy product could thrive, with Mata needing a move to a club where he can be the centre of attention.

Atletico Madrid
Whilst La Liga holders Atleti already boast an abundance of attacking options, Mata would be quite the coup. Diego Simeone bases his tactics around players who can provide versatility and work rate, which would not, admittedly, make Mata an ideal match on the surface.

However, the Argentine coach could work wonders on the Spaniard’s confidence, and has the nous to build an effective team around him. The idea of a playmaker of Mata’s calibre supporting an attack consisting of Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic would surely be too tempting to turn down.

The prospect of retaining La Liga and defeating city rivals Real with a former Castilla product leading the way would also be a bonus for the Vicente Calderon faithful.

Juventus
Serie A giants Juventus are currently tipped as the frontrunners to secure Mata’s services, and could be set to benefit from United’s purported interest in Arturo Vidal.

With Sebastian Giovinco out of contract next summer, there could be space in the squad for the Spaniard, and the Old Lady may demand Mata as part of any deal for prize asset Vidal.

The slower pace and heavy focus on tactics in Serie A could be ideal for a player of Mata’s intelligence, where his quickness of thought would be valued over his lack of speed and dynamism.