Chelsea star Juan Mata is ready to leave the club
in January as big-spending French side Paris
Saint-Germain prepare a bid worth €41 million for
the playmaker.
The Spanish star started and scored in Tuesday’s
Capital One Cup win against Arsenal but is
unhappy under Jose Mourinho having again been
left out of the starting line-up for key matches
including last Sunday’s home win over Manchester
City.
Mata is fearful for his place in the Spain squad for
next summer’s World Cup in Brazil - and he is
ready to quit Stamford Bridge in the winter as he
goes in search of regular first-team football.
Chelsea are willing to listen to offers for the 25-
year-old but will refuse to sell him to a Premier
League rival, ruling out a transfer to Manchester
United or Tottenham, who both tried to sign the
former Valencia man over the summer.
Mata is happy in London and has publicly vowed
to fight for his place and declared himself "happy"
at Stamford Bridge. Behind the scenes, however,
he is strongly considering his future, especially
with no sign of a new deal to improve on his
€82,000-a-week contract which runs until 2016.
“I am happy at Chelsea. I have always felt the
support of the fans - in every game, on the street -
I have felt the love from them.
I try to play for
them, score for them and make them happy. We
have great support," he told Talksport on
Wednesday.
“I want to play as much as I can, but if you want
to win titles you need 24-25 players ready to play.
Anyone can play any game."
Mata’s father, who also acts as the player’s agent,
is understood to have made discrete enquiries to
sound out potential interest in his son.
PSG are the leading contenders at this stage, with
sources confirming to Goal that the Ligue 1 club
tried to sign Mata in the summer and are preparing
to return with a bumper bid in the new year.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have both ruled out
bids for the midfielder, while Valencia’s precarious
financial situation means they are unable to fund a
move to re-sign their former star.
Mata has failed to establish himself in Mourinho’s
plans this season, often settling for a place on the
substitutes’ bench, especially in big games against
Manchester United, Spurs and City.
Mourinho has cited Mata’s lack of defensive work
as the main reason behind the Spain
international’s frequent omission, with Oscar
preferred in the No.10 role at Stamford Bridge.
Mata has been Chelsea’s player of the year in the
last two seasons, and last term scored 12 goals
and provided 12 assists in the Premier League
alone.
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