There is no denying that Juan Mata is one of the nicest guys in football and the way he conducts himself both on and off the pitch makes him a perfect role model for younger players.
But Manchester United’s decision to extend his contract this summer for a further year looks even more confusing following the conclusion of the transfer window.
The 33-year-old was already competing against a wealth of attacking options and that’s before the club sold Dan James and loaned out the likes of Tahith Chong, Facundo Pellistri and Andreas Pereira.
Then the signings of Jadon Sancho and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo have made Mata’s route to first team action even more daunting, and Jesse Lingard staying put may not have been part of Mata’s plan.
Will Mata feature at all?
Mata has won the World Cup with Spain and Champions League with Chelsea. But nowadays he is at the tail end of his career.
Most recently, he started and scored a penalty in the final league game of last season away to Wolves. He also started the home against Leicester earlier in May, before scoring a penalty as a late substitute in the shootout defeat to Villarreal.
But these league starts came at a time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were looking ahead to the Europa League final and were looking to rest others, amid a hectic fixture schedule.
Mata’s last Premier League start before May came against West Bromwich Albion in November 2020.
Starting alongside Mata that day was Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The former Chelsea man was replaced by Edinson Cavani just after the hour mark.
Also on the bench that day was James and Donny van de Beek, but there was no Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard or Mason Greenwood.
Youngsters development crucial
It’s not the just the club’s established stars that are proving a major obstacle to first team action for Mata, but there are several talented youngsters coming through the ranks and knocking on the first team door.
In Hannibal Mejbri, Anthony Elanga, Amad Diallo and Shola Shoretire, Solskjaer has a pool of teenagers champing at the bit and eager to make a breakthrough at the Theatre of Dreams.
Lingard’s return from West Ham is another issue for Mata to contend with, but he isn’t the type of player to make a scene and throw his toys out the pram, he is a valued member in United’s dressing room.
But if and when he plays does come at the expense of a youngster’s development, then the club will be going against the very ethos which made us who we are today.
The Carabao Cup clash against West Ham sticks out as a potential opportunity for Mata to make his first appearance of the season, maybe alongside a number of youngsters, but it’s hard to see beyond that game where other chances will be presented.
Given the strength of opponent, and United’s desire to win silverware, Mata may not even get rotated in. It is hard to see where opportunities may lie for him over the season ahead.
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