Man Utd have yet to agree on a new contract with Juan Mata, and with just weeks remaining on his current deal, they run the risk of losing him this summer.
The 31-year-old has been with the Red Devils since 2014, making 218 appearances for the club while winning an FA Cup, Europa League and League Cup during his time with them.
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However, his spell in Manchester could be coming to an end imminently, as with his current contract expiring at the end of June, he looks set to become a free agent.
Given he still offers a different dynamic in the final third with his creativity, technical quality and footballing brain to complement the pace and movement of the younger players in the squad, it would arguably make sense for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to keep him.
Nevertheless, time will tell if a new agreement can be reached, but with The Sun reporting that Newcastle Utd could join Barcelona in trying to prise him away from Man Utd, the club could be heading for a difficult few weeks to convince him to stay.
It’s noted that Rafa Benitez is eager to work with Mata again after their stint together at Chelsea, although it’s added that not only does the Spaniard hope to sort out his own contract situation at St James’ Park, but signing a player of Mata’s age and with his wage demands would require the club to change their policy.
In turn, there is seemingly a long way to go before Newcastle can put a genuine offer on the table, but with the report adding that the likes of Barcelona and Valencia have also been linked with Mata, they won’t want to take too long to get things in order.
Man Utd face a crucial summer this year with Solskjaer hoping to bring in reinforcements to strengthen the squad after a bitterly disappointing campaign just gone. Time will tell if Mata features in his plans moving forward or if he’ll look to freshen things up in attack, but they’ll have to decide sooner rather than later.
