According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester United have offered a Juan Mata a new contract amid reports he could leave the club on a free and join Barcelona this summer.
Mata, 31, has entered the last two months of his existing contract and United have offered him a one-year deal with the option of an additional year. Sources close to the player have told the MEN the playmaker is ‘calm’ and it is understood United are more hopeful Mata will agree to an extension.
The MEN previously reported the one-plus-one offer was a sticking point in discussions amid Mata’s desire for a minimum two-year contract. United have also offered Mata an ambassadorial role at the end of his playing career.
United confirmed in November they had opened talks with Mata about a new deal and the Spain international selflessly told the MEN last month he wanted to put United’s run-in ahead of his own situation at the club.
“I don’t think right now is a good moment to speak about it,” Mata said. “Because I prefer to put the team before myself and what we are going to face now is important enough to be focused only on that.
“There have been some rumours about myself and other teammates over the last week, so I’m not the one who is going to put more questions or raise more comments with what I say.
“So I prefer to put the team before me and focus on the important task that we have ahead, which is Barcelona. And that’s it. I’m sure the fans prefer that because we all want to beat Barcelona, we want to have our heads focused on Barcelona.
“And, again, I don’t want to raise any more noise that, to be fair, in the last weeks there has been quite a lot.” Despite a fitful season, Mata has still outscored Jesse Lingard and Alexis Sanchez and played key roles in the comeback wins over Newcastle and Juventus. Mata also excelled in his three starts against former club Chelsea.
United’s preference would be to sell three players and sign three in the transfer window but senior sources at the club expect more departures. Antonio Valencia will be released at the end of his contract on June 30 and Ander Herrera is understood to have agreed a pre-contract with Paris Saint-Germain.’
Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo were available for transfer last year and United are willing to sell the duo this summer. Mata’s position is now more auspicious since fellow forward Romelu Lukaku is considering his future and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is unconvinced by the subdued Sanchez. Mata is also the only specialist playmaker in the current United squad.
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