Among the many, many narratives discussed during the whole ‘Jose Mourinho is going to Manchester United’ saga was the one about the reunion of Mourinho and Juan Mata.
Mata famously left Chelsea during Mourinho’s second spell in charge of the Blues, despite being named as Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Mata moved to United, much to the confusion and disapproval of Chelsea fans, and many believed that he was forced out of the club by the Portuguese manager.
So when Mourinho signed on the dotted line with the Red Devils, suggestions were made that fan-favourite Mata would be the first head on the chopping block.
The subject was broached during United’s preseason tour of China and Mourinho was quick to rubbish that assertion, insisting that he had nothing to do with the decision to allow Mata to leave Chelsea.
“I sold because he asked for that,” Mourinho said, in quotes appearing on ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk.
“Nobody in my previous club wanted to sell or push him. No, it was his decision, he was not the first option, but he was playing every game.
“I never let Juan Mata out of my selection of the 18 but he was on the bench a few times. We had a proposal from a big club like Man United.
“We thought in the club that the proposal was very much acceptable, that it was very good proposal for that period, three years ago.
“In this moment the numbers are going crazy so that numbers that looked very high three years later it looks very cheap but he wanted to leave and my philosophy is I don’t want players that want to leave.
“I want players that want to come and want to stay. I don’t want players that want to leave so we sold Juan to Man United but I think since the first day everything is clear between us.
“There is space for him. He’s a talented player and I don’t promise places to anyone.
“I promise respect and I like him so if he wants to stay and I think he wants – until this moment I don’t have one little sign that he wanted to leave so I think he wants too stay and yes there is space for him and yes I think he can be useful to the club.”
