Chelsea Must Capitalise on Juan Mata's Sour Relationship with Jose Mourinho

The worst-kept secret in football is out: Jose Mourinho has finally been confirmed as Manchester United's new manager. And now it is time for Chelsea to capitalise.

While United fans will be celebrating the prospect of a brighter future under Mourinho than the previous regimes since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013, Juan Mata's future is less certain. The Spaniard hasn't been linked with a move away from Old Trafford yet, but his history with Mourinho tells us he shouldn't have high hopes of remaining a United player.

Mata was the biggest casualty of Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge in 2013. Despite being named as Chelsea's Player of the Season in each of his two full campaigns with the club, he was deemed dispensable by Mourinho. Mata wasn't in the Mourinho mould and was cast aside, with Oscar preferred as Chelsea's No. 10.

The boss made no bones about his views on Mata at the time.

"Oscar is my No. 10, and if somebody tells me that Oscar is not Chelsea's best player since the beginning of the season, I would have to disagree," Mourinho stated in October 2013, referring to how the Brazilian suited Chelsea's style of play more.

"[Oscar and Mata] can play together when [Mata] adapts. ... The reasons why [Mata is] not playing so much are things I can speak about with him but not with you."

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It was the Spaniard's lack of defensive acumen that saw him overlooked under Mourinho, and in the time since Mata's £37.1 million move to the north-west in January 2014, Mourinho's philosophy hasn't changed. Were he still Chelsea boss, it would be Oscar or another player with his specific skill set operating as Chelsea's No. 10.

Mourinho's preference is to have players who fit within a system that is based around physical dominance and the team's defensive needs above all else. There isn't room for a creative type such as Mata. Mourinho craves so much more from his players.

It's his view that teams are forced to carry players of Mata's ilk—that he's nothing more than a passenger. Mourinho's success hasn't been built around that.

That means the smart money is on Mata's United career being over. That means there is a chance for Chelsea to bring him back to west London.

It's not because of sentiment, either. Mata is the sort of player Antonio Conte could do with in his Chelsea side because Chelsea have never replaced the Spaniard since he left.

What were the criticisms leveled at Chelsea in the past 12 months? Well, there were plenty, and near the top of the list was how one-dimensional they looked for long spells of 2015/16. They severely lacked creativity.

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Indeed, they haven't looked as dynamic since Mata left. That's not because of him solely, but it's more because they don't have players that offer what he does. Mata is a schemer in the final third, bringing others into play with his ability to create space in tight areas and play between the lines.

That does come at a cost defensively, as he isn't built to get stuck in in the way the Premier League's Anglo-Saxon culture demands. But then he's a No. 10; that's not his job. His job is to get defenders worrying about him and not the other way around.

When Mata was utilised in that area, he was lethal for Chelsea. The notion is that a No. 10's effectiveness is all about the numbers, and Mata always delivered in a Chelsea shirt.

From the beginning of 2011/12 through to the end of 2012/13, Mata scored 29 goals and assisted a further 44 for his team-mates. If we're talking figures alone, that's a phenomenal return and on a par with the best players in Europe at the time.

It's because of those stats that Mata was so adored at Stamford Bridge. He needed a few more seasons in west London to reach the same legendary status as Gianfranco Zola, but there was an air of the Italian maestro about him.

In the same way Zola had been in the late 1990s, Mata was Chelsea's creative hub. He had so much influence on what the team did in attack, and he was lethal in the process.

Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League with Mata at the club, which is no coincidence. The Blues haven't looked stronger in Europe since, as they were able to win tight matches when the balance was decided on the finest details. Quite often, it was Mata helping things fall in Chelsea's favour.

As Conte considers the many problems he has to fix at Stamford Bridge, that creativity issue would be assisted greatly with Mata in his side. The combination of him, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas is quite the prospect.

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Admittedly, Mata's numbers have dropped since he moved to United. Then again, when successive managers refuse to deploy a player in his natural position, who isn't going to struggle to perform to the same standards?

Mata and Chelsea were the perfect fit three years ago. Given all that's passed in the time since, it's something that remains true.

The Spaniard may well be looking for a new club this summer, and Chelsea need to add more creativity to their side. Why wouldn't Conte consider him?

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.