Manchester United Transfer News: Juan Mata Exit Predicted by Jamie Redknapp

Juan Mata is "too good" to rot on the bench at Manchester United, according to former Tottenham and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

The little Spaniard, who scored the only goal of the game minutes after entering against Crystal Palace on Saturday, is also tipped to leave by the Sky Sports pundit. Redknapp's comments were reported in his column for the Daily Mail:

"

He came off the bench to save Manchester United against Crystal Palace and he must be wondering what more he has to do to play regular football at Old Trafford. ... He is too good to be a super sub at United and if he doesn’t get some more action, I could see him moving on or maybe even back to Spain.

"

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Previous reports have linked Mata with a January transfer to Juventus or Roma. He has been unable to maintain a place in Louis van Gaal's first-team plans despite posting a largely successful run of performances since arriving under David Moyes' tutelage last January.

Mata has scored eight and assisted five in a total of 18 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, per WhoScored.com. His deflected strike against Palace provided United with their first victory in four matches and lifted the side to within two points of the Champions League places. Mata cut inside from the wing during the recent win and was once again ushered away from his preferred No. 10 role.

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Such a story will sound awfully familiar to United fans. Shinji Kagawa's summer departure was largely influenced by Mata's arrival, as the Japanese star failed to impress in his limited central opportunities. Mata's performances went quiet during Wayne Rooney's recent three-game suspension and underlined a player who is prone to becoming anonymous when powerful opposition surround him.

His lack of physicality was obvious during the draw early in the season with Burnley, showing itself again throughout the ties with West Brom and Chelsea.

Van Gaal's team is currently being forced to work harder than it is perhaps used to all over the pitch due to a combined lack of form and run of injuries. Mata, like everyone else, is expected to contribute across all phases of play. While his attacking numbers cannot be disputed, he rarely aids the side's defensive efforts.

Marouane Fellaini's resurgence, explained by Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey, has also not helped Mata hold down a place:

The former Valencia star averages 0.5 tackles, 0.2 interceptions, 0.1 clearances and 0.8 fouls per appearance this season, according to WhoScored. United's defensive struggles are well-documented, and away from injuries, the defense has been unaided by poor performances from senior centre-backs Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling.

This has forced Van Gaal to tinker by packing the midfield tighter in recent matches, a strategy that overlooks Mata's best attributes. Although Van Gaal labelled the midfielder's goal against Palace "fantastic," the boss failed to confirm it would return Mata to the starting lineup.

"I have given him the chance, I give other players the chance and at the end we shall see who plays more than the other," said Van Gaal, reported by Greg Makin of the Express. "It is always like that in football."

Football writer Duncan Castles suggests the player's wholehearted celebration after scoring against Palace underlines the entire situation:

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United undoubtedly have a match-winning star at their disposal, but the side's need for solidarity may continue to limit Mata's chances this season. Only four outfield players have actually started more Premier League games than the Spaniard since Van Gaal took over, per WhoScored, so there's a sense things aren't quite as desperate as many would suggest.

Unfortunately, like Kagawa, Mata's lack of defensive quality makes him the first man sacrificed when the team needs a little more grit, an occurrence that will continue while United find their best form.

Whether this ends with the club cashing in, however, remains to be seen. Van Gaal cannot be criticised for giving his squad a lack of chances and is likely to continue calling upon Mata to change results, whether that's from the bench or not.