Manchester United Transfer News: Juan Mata, Jose Mourinho Agreement Reported

Juan Mata is set to stay at Manchester United this summer, having come to an agreement with manager Jose Mourinho.

According to Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph, the playmaker has accepted he will not be a first-team regular under the Portuguese coach and is happy to remain at Old Trafford. Mourinho is said to feel there’s “a role for the Spanish midfielder to play” despite the summer capture of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund.

Mata has started both of Mourinho’s Premier League games in charge at United, helping the team to a perfect opening.

Even so, there have been lingering doubts as to whether there’s a future for the former Chelsea man under Mourinho with the Red Devils. That’s due to the fact the manager moved Mata on in 2014, when they were together at Stamford Bridge, with there seemingly being concerns over the diminutive creator’s lack of defensive discipline.

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Everton are noted as suitors for Mata, and according to Wallace, it “would not have been difficult to place the player elsewhere for a good fee” if United wished to sell.

However, it seems as though manager and player are happy to work alongside one another for now. Mata, as these numbers from Squawka Football suggest, has been working hard on the defensive side of his game:

He’s also showcased his main attributes in the early weeks of the season, too. Playing off the right flank, Mata has linked up tremendously with full-back Antonio Valencia. The Spaniard was exceptional against Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the campaign and was also a threat in the win against Southampton at Old Trafford last time out.

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Even so, concerns persist about how Mata fits into Mourinho’s vision for the team. Mkhitaryan has not started for the club in the Premier League yet, although he’s a much more natural fit for the Portuguese’s blueprint. Per Wallace, he’s viewed as the eventual first-choice right-winger.

Indeed, despite Mata's strong start to the season, Jonathan Fadugba of FourFourTwo has already picked up on passages of play where the Armenian could improve the Red Devils:

For now, keeping the Spain international on board will do little harm. United will have a lot of matches between now and the January window, especially given they’ll be participating in the Europa League. Mata will get plenty of opportunities, as a result, albeit perhaps not in the team’s season-defining games.

Wallace added that United will likely assess their squad situation in January, and after some months spent getting acclimatised to life at Old Trafford, Mourinho may cast a more ruthless eye over Mata. The 28-year-old has at least showcased a willingness to adapt under the new boss, although you sense he’ll have to keep raising standards to remain at the club for the long term.