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Chelsea FC player evaluations 2015/16: 4 ex-Blues

By George Perry

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Juan Mata of Manchester United in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Juan Mata of Manchester United in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

Juan Mata: Manchester United (Daniel McClue)

Since leaving Chelsea, Juan Mata has played only four Champions League games and his current team, Manchester United, are set for a season in the Europa League come September. I can imagine he relives the sensational night in Munich over and over, clamouring for the glory days back at the London club.

Wishful thinking, maybe.

2015/16 saw him produce the lowest number of key passes per game (1.4) that he has ever done since he moved to the Premier League. Despite this, he produced the most assists (8), in all competitions, since the 2012/13 season.

His passing accuracy has always been brilliant at around 90%, this season was no different with a success rate of 89.2%.

Whilst at United, Louis Van Gaal brought in a possession based game. I think this style suited Mata more than at Chelsea. More of the ball means less need to track back, it also meant that he could sit in the middle of the field and pick his passes, dictating the play.

The Manchester club has a lot of bang average players; Mata is a star who performs consistently. He is a good finisher and can play every pass in the book. At 28 you can expect a few more years at the top of his game.

This leads me on to the big question – what does Mourinho’s apparent hiring at United mean for Mata?

Rumour has it Jose Mourinho sold Mata because he preferred Oscar. The Brazilian is younger, more versatile and a “better defender”. I use the term loosely because neither Mata nor Oscar are particularly good at defending.

I’m sure the Chelsea board and fans alike would love him back. If Mourinho prefers Oscar’s game more, could a swap deal be organised? The Blues could even try asking for a few million to cover the fact that the Brazilian is younger.

I don’t think this will happen. Unless Mata is truly unhappy to have the new manager, United will keep him. He wasn’t called up to Spain’s EURO 2016 squad this summer so he could angle for a fresh start. If he is sold most Spanish teams would love to have him with a return to Valencia perhaps on the cards?

An interesting future awaits the ex-Chelsea star.

Next: Claudio Ranieri

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