Blues were even prepared to let Spaniard move to title rivals Manchester City or Arsenal instead of the Red Devils.
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Chelsea were forced to sell wide man Juan Mata to Premier League champions Manchester United after no other interested suitors in the Spain international were prepared to meet the west London club’s £37m valuation of the player, according to reports in the Sunday Mirror.
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Mata is set to finally complete his club-record £37m move to Old Trafford on Monday, however, it has now been revealed that initially the Blues informed the 25-year-old that he would not be allowed to join the Red Devils under any circumstances in the January transfer window.
And that is because of the bad feeling that has been built up between the two Premier League giants following the west London’s club protracted and ultimately doomed chase of England international Wayne Rooney last summer which meant that Chelsea then vowed not to allow Mata to move to the north west.
In fact, when Chelsea agreed in writing to allow Mata to leave Stamford Bridge before Christmas, the club specifically stated that he move to any team other than United for a fee of £37m.
However, when the January transfer window did reopen for business at the start of the month, United were the only interested party willing to meet the Blues’ valuation of the Spaniard, meaning that in the end the west Londoners were left with no other choice than to sell their star man to the Red Devils.
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