Chelsea Transfer Rumors: 5 Reasons Juan Mata Must Be Signed by Chelsea

Chelsea's quiet transfer window is expected to soon be enlivened. The Guardian reports that the west London club is very close to landing Valencia winger Juan Mata in a £23.5m deal.

Mata has been linked to numerous clubs this summer including English rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

A product of the Real Madrid youth academy, he left for Valencia in 2007. In four seasons at Valencia he has made himself into one of the most influential players on the team. In 174 matches he has managed an impressive 46 goals and 43 assists, averaging a point every other game.

Figures like this are only part of the reason Villa-Boas is so keen on making him his first immediate impact signing. Here are five other reasons why his arrival at Stamford Bridge will give the team a much needed boost.

The Situation

Beyond the pitch, this signing makes logical and fiscal sense for both clubs involved as well as the player himself.

Valencia is one of many bankrupt clubs currently in Spain. With some poor business decisions and a terrible timing to build a new stadium, they find themselves in serious need of a financial overhaul. With the sale of David Villa and David Silva last year, they helped recoup some money, but more needs to be done.

While £23.5m may seem like a huge sum, it is actually a bargain given the talent of the player and the need Chelsea have for someone like him. Chelsea is in a situation where they are able to offer a large sum, but also have the upper hand in the knowledge of Valencia's financial woes.

Mata could seek out of Valencia also due to the impending players' strike. The current holdup over a deal mainly has to do with unpaid players, particularly amongst bankrupt clubs such as Valencia. The situation will see either Mata losing money, or the club itself making it unable to continue to compete at the highest level.

Furthermore, Mata could be apt to get out of Valencia and Spain because of the delay of the season due to the strike. With Euro less than a year away, Mata could get the upper hand on some of his competition for a starting role in that squad.

Many of the Spanish national team players play in Spain, and a move to England would see him playing while the others are not.

These may seem like minor details, but we must remember that football is still a business and matters like this weigh heavily in decision making.

Creativity

Chelsea got their first win of the new season Sunday, but it was not done with the "flair" Villa-Boas promised. A stagnant midfield again failed to create opportunities and lack of consequential movement often had the back line passing the ball among themselves without moving forward.

This is the same thing that many attribute to the team's downfall last year and the reason for Ancelotti's sacking. The style of play Villa-Boas' Porto exhibited was the way Chelsea wished to play and why the club went out and hired the Portuguese man.

So far he has not been able to replicate what he did with the Europa Cup winners. Many believe it is the fact that though Chelsea is loaded with an All-Star lineup, the players rely more on their technical skills than their creativity. Mata is the opposite.

He is extremely quick and aggressive on the wing, both with the ball at his feet and off it. He is very much in the same style as Hulk, Villa-Boas' former winger at Porto.

With a player like Mata, Villa-Boas would finally have a player who can exhibit the tactics he wishes rather than attempting to mold veterans away from their natural abilities.

A True Winger

Villa-Boas' 4-3-3 calls for a true winger. Right now Chelsea are lacking one and are using converted forwards to fill the role. It has been hit or miss, depending on the opponent, their form and the players surrounding them. But overall it seems to have been a failed experiment that is making little progress.

Juan Mata plays and is most comfortable on the wing. When he is in one-on-one situations, he more often than not comes up on top. He does not give the ball over with his wing-backs up high, and counters when the opponents' wings-backs do.

He also is a player who looks to pass first, but is also not afraid to shoot to score.

These kinds of attributes keep defenses honest as they know that a winger is as much of a threat out wide with their decision making as they are when they cut inside. Pulling wing-backs and the midfield over to double cover him, would open the middle for Drogba and Torres who have both struggled, being constantly surrounded by defenders.

Chelsea will never succeed under Villa-Boas without a true winger and there is not a better one available right now than Mata.

A Spanish Attack

Fernando Torres started his second game for Villa-Boas Sunday, and again showed more confidence. But at the same time he is still having trouble creating chances for himself and others, and has not really threatened the goal.

Where last year his scoring was the issue, this year he seems to be out of sync with his teammates. When ever he zigs, they zag, which is the basic issue that is occurring.

When he was put on this team, he was more thrown into it with massive expectations, rather than worked in slowly until him and his teammates developed chemistry. Making it even more difficult was the fact that he was intruding on the Drogba/Anelka/Malouda trio that had an uncanny connection in their double winning year.

Mata would be a face and style which Torres is more comfortable with. Play that works the ball down field with quick exchanges and uses the wingers more as supporting forwards than wide players, would benefit Torres' play.

They are teammates on the Spanish national team, which plays this way and where Torres has been having the most success as of late. When you come from a school that relies so heavily on team play and well-timed passing, having someone else familiar with the style goes a long way.

A New Face

The new Chelsea FC has so far resembled the same team that had a catastrophic meltdown last season, which eventually knocked them out of the title race.

In two games, they are yet to impress to the level expected and have already dropped two points. This first stretch is their easiest of the season and they are not taking advantage of it.

Same faces, same style, means same results.

Teams have become accustomed to Chelsea over years of repetitive play. They have relied on their force and intimidation to put the opposition on their heels and impose their will on them. But starting last year it has not worked.

Opponents have gotten more confident and dug in defensively, exposing their lack of creativity. It has become the team's Achilles heel. 

The arrival alone of Juan Mata could be enough to change things up in the Chelsea clubhouse and give them a new look. The presence of a new player would also make teams wonder how he will be integrated into the squad and influence the team dynamic.

At the very least it will give the fans something to be excited about as the season gets under way.