MOURINHO ASKS JUAN MATA TO STAY
Jose Mourinho has asked Juan Mata to remain at the club in a shock move, according to reports making the rounds. The Portuguese tactician blocked any move that will allow the player be the play maker at Everton FC this summer. Everton were gearing to make the Spaniard the creative one in the team they are rebuilding one and off the pitch.
The move was similar to the one made by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as he asked that the widely speculated move of Yaya Toure to Inter Milan be cancelled. Mourinho also asked that Mata remain at the club despite being the one that sold him to the Red Devils two years ago when he was at the helms at Chelsea.
When asked if there was space for the player at the club, he said: “Yes, there is a space here for Juan. It is a strange question because I don’t understand why he doesn’t have a future.
“First of all, I think maybe all of you misunderstood what happened in our previous club because I never told Mata to leave. I never pressed the club to sell him.”
He continued saying that it was his decision to leave and he didn’t like the idea of players wanting to leave. He said he isn’t one to hold back any player when they want to leave so he allowed the deal to go through. He said Mata wasn’t happy as he was not his first choice and he wanted to be playing every game, so when the good offer from Man United came they decided to sell and not hold back because they were selling to a direct competitor.
He said not selling to another club because of direct competition was old fashioned. On an endnote, he said he wants the player to keep fighting for his shirt and that there is space for everyone as there are many games all through the season.