Chelsea
Benitez To Offer Juan Mata Chelsea Escape Route As Mourinho Snub Continues
Rafa Benitez is ready to offer Juan Mata an escape route from Chelsea in January as Jose Mourinho’s harsh treatment of the Spaniard continued at the weekend.
Despite the summer transfer window being closed there is still plenty of gossip in the newspapers, so we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest transfer news. Today, Napoli eye Juan Mata.
Rafa Benitez is ready to offer Juan Mata an escape route from Chelsea in January as Jose Mourinho’s harsh treatment of the Spaniard continued at the weekend, according to the Mirror.
Mata was not only left out of Chelsea’s starting eleven for Saturday’s 2-0 win over Fulham but he wasn’t even named on the substitutes bench. This is the latest in a long line of snubs for the playmaker with Mourinho confirming after the game that Oscar is now his first choice No.10 and warned Mata that he’d have to fight for his place in the team after some “unconvincing” display’s.
The Mirror carry quotes from a source close to the club that claims even the Blues players are mystified at Mourinho’s treatment of the 25-year-old – who they feel is one of the clubs key men.
“The players are as surprised as everyone over Mourinho’s treatment of Mata.
“Most of the players thought Mata was Chelsea’s best player last season and would never have imagined his place would be under threat.” An apprent source told the Mirror.
Mata was voted as Chelsea’s Player of the Year by supporters last season so it’s certain a dramatic fall from grace with him struggling to even make the bench these days under Mourinho.
But he could be offered the chance to link up with fellow Spaniard and former boss Rafa Benitez at Napoli with the newspaper claiming that the Serie A outfit will make a move for the unsettled attacker when the transfer window re-opens in January.
Chelsea refused to do business for Mata in the summer but the player may opt to push for a move this winter if he continues to be snubbed by his new boss – particularly with the World Cup on the horizon.
I’m sure there would be no shortage of takers for the players services but if Chelsea did agree to cash in, you’d imagine they would prefer to sell abroad rather to a domestic rival, leaving Benitez and Napoli well positioned to snap him up.
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