Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini Still Unsure of Futures at Manchester United

Manchester United’s recent run of results has ensured that a little more of the gloom that had settled on Old Trafford during David Moyes’ tenure has lifted.

The Red Devils are dreaming of a brighter future—although doubt still remains about whether the two headline signings that Moyes brought to the club will be a part of it.

It is less than a year since Juan Mata flew into United’s training facilities at Carrington by helicopter with the hope of rescuing United’s—and his own—season. Chelsea’s two-time Player of the Year had been deemed surplus to requirements in Jose Mourinho’s new look Blues side.

By that time, David Moyes’ other big-money signing already looked shorn of confidence in a struggling United side. Marouane Fellaini joined United at the end of a disastrous close season for United, who fell short of capturing any high-profile targets.

Due to his aerial threat, Fellaini was often used as a battering ram against opposition defences at Everton. He finished his last season at Goodison Park as top scorer, scoring 12 goals in all competitions. Despite Moyes signing a player he knew well, he was reluctant to ask Fellaini to play the same role at United, meaning he usually featured as one of two traditional central midfielders.

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

Fate has played a big hand in Marouane Fellaini’s recent renaissance, which began in earnest with his terrific goal versus West Bromwich Albion in October.

There were no signs in his performances last season that hinted at the Belgium international avoiding Louis van Gaal’s cull at United. A proposed move to Napoli was scuppered when Fellaini suffered an ankle injury and the Italian side took their interest no further, per The Independent.

Upon his recovery—and in part due to United’s shocking injury list—Fellaini found himself back in first-team contention at United.

Van Gaal has utilised Fellaini’s versatility and not been afraid to play to his strength in the air—a strength that, as The Independent reported, has impressed his team-mate Mata:

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In the air he is one of the best in the league...He can score goals like he did [against Stoke] by arriving from the second line and he is very important. I’m very happy for him because he had difficult moments in the beginning.

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As for Mata himself, the ever-popular Spaniard is a model of consistency. He is an accurate passer of the ball, reads the game well and has a wonderful knack of ghosting into the penalty area unnoticed to finish off moves. He has also quenched United’s thirst for a goalscoring midfielder—having scored 10 goals in his 26 appearances for the club.

However, rumours persist about what the future holds for the ex-Chelsea man.

Questions first surfaced about Mata’s defensive limitations when Jose Mourinho let the Spaniard leave Stamford Bridge. He has not been an ever-present in Louis van Gaal’s first team, either.

Mata started on the bench in the recent match at home to Crystal Palace. He came on to score the winning goal. When questioned about Mata’s absence from the starting lineup in his post-match press conference, Van Gaal said, per the Express:

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Juan Mata has played a lot of matches. 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. It is always like that in football.

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It seems that not a week goes by without Mata being linked with a move away from Manchester. This week, the Mirror suggested that Sevilla could bid for the playmaker in January, with other outlets picking up on the story.

Stan Collymore hinted at the problem in his most recent Bleacher Report column.

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Mata's case speaks of the death of the luxury player. It's not just about showing skills going forward anymore. Unless you have energy going back and the ability to defend, you're going to get jettisoned very quickly.

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Fellaini has his own limitations as a midfielder. He is not the most mobile player, can often look clumsy and his passing can be suspect. This may ultimately hinder any progress he makes at Old Trafford beyond this season. For now, though, he is the right player at the right time.

As for Mata, those rumours just won’t go away.