Barca in for Mata?

as much as it seems like a strange transfer, barce when you watch them have a lot of control in games(possession wise) generally when mata has looked good for us is when he has time on the ball so he might not be the worst of signings

It would be a less inexplicable signing than Kevin-Prince Boateng to Barcelona

From our point of view, I can't imagine there's much financial imperative to offload him now to avoid losing him for free in the summer. So it should be a primarily sporting decision. He's not first choice but are we better without him? He can still pop up and score a free kick or offer experienced cover if we have a few injuries or need to rest players. As I see it, we should only let him go now either if we're preparing a bid for a right sided player or if the club feels e.g. Chong is ready and Mata is an obstacle to his progression.

Unless we get a respectable fee I don't want to see him to those planks anyway. Juan's a handy player and when you need to rotate or throw in an attacking sub, he's Johnnie-on-the-spot. he's arguably our best club ambassador (among active players).The fee would have to value the player and also the presence he has in the club.

unlike most I have never been a big fan of mata at utd. I hear he is a nice fellow and all that he simply has not delivered the goods.

an attacker needs to either score or assist a lot but mata's record for utd at doing both has been mediocre. This could be forgiven if he was influential on the pitch but he really is not.

i am an optimist so will rather bet on one of the young attackers we have becoming a player we want than an aging mata who for me has failed to deliver since he joined utd.

Unless we are signing a winger we shouldn’t be selling Mata. He still has a lot to offer for the remainder of the season, especially given we’ve got ourselves back into a good position in the league.

If we do let him go, we'll need to bring in a similar player in terms of his technical attributes.

We're already woefully short in terms of craft in the supporting line - there's only really Pogba with a similar technical skill-set - and don't have anyone coming through the U23s or U18s who might fill that particular gap.

What about Gomes, rosso? He looks to have the technical attributes, but I’m not sure about the physical ones.

I take the point, though. There’s a lack of creativity in the squad. Both in central midfield and the forward line.

comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 3 hours, 5 minutes ago
What about Gomes, rosso? He looks to have the technical attributes, but I’m not sure about the physical ones.

I take the point, though. There’s a lack of creativity in the squad. Both in central midfield and the forward line.
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Not the same kind of player really. Gomes to me still looks like he's going to turn into a mini-Pogba.

Maybe Pereira is closest to Mata in the senior squad, but we're yet to see, well, whatever the fack is going to happen with him

Coming through the ranks, Puigmal looks most Mata-esque, but he's a long way off ready.

I think he has the ability to give what Mata does, with the added bonus of superior dribbling. Problem is we don’t know where he’ll play, if at all, in the future for United.