Saturday 25 January 2014

Official: Juan Mata completes £37.1m Manchester United move

Official: Juan Mata completes £37.1m Manchester United move
Manchester United have completed the signing of Juan Mata from Chelsea, the club have confirmed.

The Spain international missed first-team training with the west London outfit on Wednesday as he closed in on the club-record move to the reigning Premier League champions in a deal worth £37.1 million.

The midfielder flew to United's Carrington training base on Thursday morning to complete a medical, and is now expected to make his debut for the Red Devils against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Jose Mourinho has already moved to secure a replacement for the Spaniard, as the Blues gazumped Liverpool to agree a fee with Basel for Mohamed Salah, a transfer which could cost up to £15m.

Mata, twice named Chelsea's Player of the Season, struggled for regular football under Mourinho, with the Portuguese recently admitting his "door was open" should the playmaker seek an exit.

And United have jumped at the opportunity to bring the 25-year-old to Old Trafford, with David Moyes keen to boost his midfield options and strengthen the club's bid to claim Champions League qualification after the disappointment of crashing out of the Capital One Cup.

For his part, Mata - who completed 90 minutes in the Premier League just twice under Mourinho - is keen for gametime ahead of the World Cup in Brazil and will receive a significant increase on the £70,000-a-week salary he received at Stamford Bridge.

He enjoyed a hugely successful two-and-a-half seasons at Chelsea, lifting the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League - assisting Didier Drogba's late leveller in the final against Bayern Munich.

Since leaving Valencia for the Premier League in 2011, only compatriot David Silva has recorded more assists than Mata's 27, while he also notched 18 league goals for the Blues.

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