Manchester United Transfer News: Juan Mata Talks Contract Extension

Juan Mata has said he is willing to extend his contract at Manchester United, with the Spaniard suggesting he would like to emulate club legend Ryan Giggs.

Speaking to ESPN FC's Rob Dawson, Mata said when asked if he wanted to remain at Old Trafford: "Why not? I'm 29 and hopefully I can play football for some more years. It would be great to play until I'm 40 like Ryan Giggs. But that's still a bit far, still 11 years."

Mata's existing deal is up in the summer of 2018, but United have an option to keep him for another year. But there has been some confusion over what lies ahead for the player.

Earlier in November, Spanish source Deporte Valenciano (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness) revealed a reluctance on Mata's part to renew his contract.

This followed an exclusive from Richard Tanner of the Daily Express reporting La Liga giants Real Madrid want to make a bid for the playmaker during the January transfer window.

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Tanner cited Mata's lacking of playing time, particularly in his "favoured 'No. 10' position," as a reason why he may be open to moving on.

Yet a subsequent report from James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph said United intend to activate the clause in Mata's contract and extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2019.

For his part, Mata told Dawson he is happy in the red half of Manchester: "You never know what can happen in football and in life. But my feeling now is that I'm happy here and I wouldn't have any problem continuing here for more time."

Mata has some reason to be content considering he has won the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League since joining United from Chelsea in 2014. However, it was current United boss Jose Mourinho who sold Mata to the Red Devils for a then-club record £37.1 million.

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Mata has since seen the Blues win the Premier League title twice during his stay in Manchester. Leicester City and United's neighbours Manchester City have also captured the domestic championship while the Spaniard has been a United player.

The Red Devils haven't won the league since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. They are eight points behind local rivals City this season.

Mata helped United get back on track in the title race during the 4-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday. Overall, the Spain international has made eight starts in the league and 12 in all competitions.

Yet there is still always a feeling Mata won't be a regular under Mourinho. He was benched for the 1-0 defeat to FC Basel in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and was also left out of the squad altogether for the 1-0 loss to former club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on November 5.

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In fairness to Mourinho, it's hard to find a regular place for Mata in United's starting XI. His desire to play in the advanced areas of midfield is hampered by the presence of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.

Meanwhile, United's wide berths are well-stocked thanks to Anthony Marital and Marcus Rashford. Both offer more pace and direct running than Mata, whose natural inclination is to drift centrally and get on the ball.

Mata may be open to staying at United until he's 40, but he'd surely find it an arduous stint if he spent all his time as a squad player.