Real Madrid to Reportedly Make January Transfer Move for Juan Mata

Real Madrid are reportedly ready to make a surprise January move for Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata. 

According to Richard Tanner of the Daily Express, the Spain international is viewed as a player with the potential to inject a spark into Los Blancos' campaign, as they've struggled to find top gear so far this season.

"Mata was surprisingly left out of Jose Mourinho's 18-man squad for the defeat to Chelsea on Sunday sparking questions about his long-term future at Old Trafford, especially because his contract expires next summer," continued Tanner.

While Mata has made 11 starts so far this season, he's been substituted in every one of those. Real are said to be "keeping an eye on developments."

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The 29-year-old arrived at Manchester United in January 2014 and quickly established himself as a supporters' favourite at Old Trafford. While he may not be quick nor powerful, Mata's ability to pick apart defences and chip in with important goals has been a big asset to the Red Devils.

Per football writer Liam Canning, in recent weeks Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been starting in the No. 10 position, and Mata may feel as though he's capable of doing a better job:

Mourinho has cashed in on Mata before when he was the boss at Chelsea. So it wouldn't be a huge surprise if he was to do so again.

Additionally, according to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, if the United manager wants to make signings in January he will have to offload some players first, having spent big on the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof in the summer.

If a big-money bid was to be lodged for Mata, there may be a temptation to cash in. But at the moment he doesn't appear to be what Real Madrid need to address some of their problems. Per football writer Thore Haugstad, it's at the sharp end of the pitch where the team is struggling:

The rest of the squad available to Zinedine Zidane appears to be in excellent order, with quality and strength in depth all over the pitch. What they do need is another forward who can provide competition and support to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

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In Mata's position is arguably where Real are the strongest at the moment. Marco Asensio has emerged as a first-team regular with some dazzling performances this season, while Isco has continued to blossom; Madrid also have Lucas Vazquez and Gareth Bale to use in those three positions behind the centre-forward.

A move to the Santiago Bernabeu would see Mata in a major fight to get game time given the class Madrid have. And while Real Madrid have an allure, the midfielder would surely want some guarantees over his minutes if he was to make a midseason move.