One man knew before most the size of rebuilding that was going to take place at Manchester United following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Juan Mata, prior to joining in January 2014, was told of the club’s plans to restructure the playing squad.
An eye-watering £228.1 million has been spent on players, ten to be exact, since Mata joined from Chelsea eighteen months ago. Angel Di Maria, the British record signing, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera were recruited last summer and Louis van Gaal has continued to oversee the rebuilding of the squad this window.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay and Matteo Darmian have already joined and the manager has spoken of his desire to add more faces, at least two, to the team.
“They told me ‘you are very important, you are one of the first’,” Mata, who cost the club a-then club record £37.1 million, said.
He also acknowledged that it will take more than big money arrivals for United to win a first trophy since Ferguson’s final season in charge.
“We know there is still a lot of work to do. It’s not just about bringing good players in. It’s about playing well and winning trophies.”
Juan Mata has scored 16 goals in his 50 Manchester United appearances, including an unforgettable double in the win over Liverpool at Anfield last season.
Comments.
Loading comments…