Manchester United Transfer News: Rumours on Juan Mata, Tyler Walker

Barcelona have reportedly marked Manchester United's Juan Mata as their No. 1 transfer target for 2016, sparking rumours about the Spaniard's future at Old Trafford.

According to El Mundo Deportivo (h/t Metro's Vaishali Bhardwaj), the midfielder is being targeted for his versatility and the fact he's not a regular contributor for Louis van Gaal's side:

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Despite admitting that the prospective move would not be easy, Mata’s versatility as a player – his ability to play in midfield, in attack and out wide – his style of play and the suggestion he isn’t part of Louis van Gaal’s long-term plans have made Barcelona keen on the Spain international.

It is claimed that Barca have been interested in luring Mata back to La Liga in the past, but it remains to be seen whether the Catalan giants would be able to make a move for Mata with their current transfer ban in place.

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Bhardwaj suggests the Catalans will make their pitch to the player in the summer but not register the Spain international until January 2016, to circumvent their current transfer ban. While that is a possibility, El Mundo Deportivo originally spoke of a move in 2016, as clarified by Bleacher Report UK:

The 26-year-old has failed to nail down a regular spot in Van Gaal's starting XI and suffered a similar fate under David Moyes after his move to Old Trafford from Chelsea. According to WhoScored.com, he's started 17 Premier League matches in total this season, which is still a respectable number:

Some of those starts have come as a result of injuries to other players and Wayne Rooney's suspension during the first half of the season, however. Looking at the total picture, the Spaniard doesn't appear to be in Van Gaal's long-term plans when it comes to his preferred starting XI.

He was on the bench for Wednesday's clash against Burney, to the ire of Spanish fans, per Football365's Daniel Storey:

The irony is that Mata has been productive on the pitch, as this stat from Paddy Power outlines:

The Catalan duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta are nearing the end of their respective careers. While Barcelona have plenty of talented central midfielders on their squad and within the youth system—Alen Halilovic needs no introduction—Mata's experience would make him an excellent fit as a quick fix.

Like Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas, a former Barcelona star himself, he's versatile enough to help out in a number of areas. Add to that the that fact he could be available due to his status of fringe player, and it's easy to see why Barcelona could make a move for the Spaniard.

Mata has been underappreciated during his time at Old Trafford, with even stars from other sports like Usain Bolt taking shots at him for his stature, via 101 Great Goals:

The Spaniard is an incredibly useful player. But should Barcelona's potential offer be high enough, it's hard to justify not selling Mata and using the funds to help balance the books under financial fair play regulations.

United are reportedly scouting Tyler Walker, son of former England international Des Walker, with an eye on a summer move for the 18-year-old Nottingham Forest star, per the Irish Mirror's Darren Witcoop.

Pete Norton/Getty Images

The teenager is reportedly on the watch list of just about every major Premier League power, impressing scouts by scoring a hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion in a recent youth match.

According to the club's official Twitter feed, he recently signed his first professional contract with Nottingham Forest:

Reacting to the news, academy manager Gary Brazil lauded his development, per the club's official website:

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His all-round game has improved a lot. He’s grown stronger physically, he’s got good speed, he gets around the pitch really well and he looks comfortable on the ball.   

The big thing we’re really pleased about is that he’s scoring goals, both for the Under 18s and 21s. Things are looking good for Tyler at this moment in time. He needs to keep his head down and keep working hard.

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Walker has the pedigree and all of the physical tools one looks for in a budding star, and he's on the verge of a promotion to the senior squad. He's still far away from the level required to make an impact on the Premier League level, however, and more time with Nottingham Forest might not be such a bad idea.

Too often young British talents are rushed through their development, and the Red Devils have shown admirable patience both with their academy starlets and potential acquisitions. In this situation, the same approach would be advised.

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