• Midfielder to be unveiled at the club on Monday
• Spaniard expected to be in the squad on Tuesday
Juan Mata flew into Manchester United’s training ground by helicopter on Saturday to complete a whirlwind move to Old Trafford for a club record £37.1m fee late on Saturday night. The Spaniard was greeted at the club’s training ground by David Moyes and, after passing a medical, secured his transfer from Chelsea, and the plan is to unveil him on Monday at the club.
“I am thrilled to be joining. United is the perfect place for me,” Mata was quoted as saying by United’s Twitter feed. He told MUTV: “Today is a very happy day … it’s a massive club and I feel very proud to be here.”
Moyes was glowing in his welcome for the second significant signing in his first season as United’s manager, describing Mata as “one of the finest playmakers in the game”. “It’s a real pleasure to have secured his signature,” he said.
Mata is expected to go into the squad for United’s Premier League match against Cardiff on Tuesday. “I’d like to get him involved if I can,” Moyes said. “I know our fans have admired Juan for some time now – he has always played well against us – and I know they will be delighted to see him in the red of United, starting on Tuesday.”
Mata said he was eager to play a part. “I’m looking forward to playing my first game and to score,” he said. “Chelsea is a top club and I have many friends there, but you cannot turn down the chance to join Man United.”
José Mourinho meanwhile insisted that with Mata’s move finalised and a deal for Basel’s Mohammed Salah in place there will be no more transfer activity in this window. “Hopefully, we are done,” Mourinho said. “We are not bringing in a striker in this window.”
- Manchester United
- Chelsea
- David Moyes
- José Mourinho
- Transfer window
- Premier League
Jamie Jackson
theguardian.com