Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Transfer news: Juan Mata can help Manchester United rebuild, even if it upsets Arsene Wenger

Wenger is not happy with having to play a stronger United but David Moyes must use his latest signing to turn around fortunes at Old Trafford

Friday 24 January 2014 10:18 GMT

Spain midfielder Juan Mata has been a peripheral figure at Stamford Bridge for most of this season (Kerim Okten/EPA)

Manchester United manager David Moyes should start to rebuild his shattered club by ushering Juan Mata into his squad on Friday.

Reeling from a disastrous debut campaign suffering possibly its lowest moment with the midweek Capital One Cup semi-final defeat by Sunderland, Moyes has reacted by agreeing to pay a club-record fee for Chelsea midfielder Mata.

The Spain international is set for a medical before confirming his transfer in time to join his new team-mates for training over the weekend ahead of what seems certain to be his debut, against Cardiff at Old Trafford on January 28.

Ineligible for the remainder of United's Champions League campaign, Mata is tasked with trying to help his new club secure a top-four spot, having dropped six points adrift of Liverpool.

Yet, whilst hopes of retaining their Premier League title have disappeared, United could have a significant say in who does win it.

And it has not escaped Arsene Wenger's attention that Mata will strengthen a United side who may have already faced Chelsea twice but have matches against Arsenal and Manchester City still to play.

"It opens up again questions about the dates of this transfer window," said Wenger.

"Some teams have already played twice against one opponent and some others not.

"If you want to respect the fairness for everybody that should not happen.

"I can understand completely what Chelsea are doing. They could have sold him last week.

"They do not make the rules, but maybe the rules should be adapted a bit more for more fairness."

Related stories...

Mourinho hopes Mata will do well for United

Rooney row is factor in third party deal for Mata

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Are Manchester United about to sign to most effective midfielder in the Premier League?

Chelsea will regret selling Mata to United - Wenger

Chelsea gazump Liverpool with rapid move for Salah

Mohamed Salah and the Maccabi Tel Aviv handshake furore

Player profile: Who is Mohamed Salah?

None of this will concern United, whose dreadful campaign has led to Moyes being savaged by fans who bombarded radio phone-ins on Wednesday night to express their concerns.

Others have been more measured in their assessment, acknowledging the squad left by Sir Alex Ferguson was flattered in the extreme by a 20th championship, achieved by a massive 11 points.

It has created a situation where everyone, inside Old Trafford and out, accepts a major injection of morale is required.

Former defender Gary Pallister insists Mata will provide that, and said: "He is a fantastic signing."

Speaking at the National Football Museum, where he helped launch an exhibition dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the Northern League, Pallister added: "He has great skill, great imagination, flair and goalscoring ability.

"A lot of people can't quite understand why he has not been in Jose Mourinho's team after being player of the year for the last two seasons.

"He is the kind of player Manchester United fans want to see. He has great imagination and can get people off their seats in anticipation of the things he can do with a football.

"We are delighted to get hold of him. Hopefully he can help lift Manchester United out of the spell they are going through."

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Show all 12

1/12Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Juan Mata - £37m - January 2013

Spain midfielder Juan Mata arrives from Chelsea as a proven dynamo in midfield. During his two full seasons at Chelsea, he was voted their player of the season.
But will he be a success? As the following slides show, spending lots of money isn't always the answer

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Dimitar Berbatov - £30.75m - September 2008

Manchester United spent the summer of 2008 pursuing Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov, but it was just a dramatic few minutes before the close of the transfer window that they got their man. And the Bulgarian didn't come cheap at £30.75m - United's most expensive ever signing (until Mata).
Compared with Eric Cantona upon his arrival, Berbatov fell well short of expectations. 48 league goals in 108 appearances is not a bad return, but that he didn't even make the bench for the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona spoke volumes.
Best remembered for his saved penalty against Everton in the semi-final of the 2009 FA Cup in which his casual spot-kick made him look like a plonker, and on the flip-side, his hat-trick against Liverpool in 2010.
Sold to Fulham for around £5m in 2012.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Rio Ferdinand - £29.3m - July 2002

When United paid Leeds United £29.3m back in 2002, it appeared a crazy amount of money to spend on a defender. Yet Rio Ferdinand has been a linchpin of the squad in the intervening decade (excluding the eight months he was banned for missing a drugs test) and was worth every penny.
United won the league in his first season and another five after that. He also helped United win the Champions League in 2008.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Juan Sebastián Verón - £28.1m - July 2001

The arrival of Juan Sebastián Verón from Lazio was one of the most glamourous signings in the history of the Premier League - yet sadly for United it was only that, with little substance to the £28.1m man.
The Argentine never settled at Old Trafford and made just 51 league appearances in which he scored seven goals. Two years after arriving, he was sold to Chelsea (who incredibly paid £15m for a player who would make just 14 appearances for the west Londoners).

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Wayne Rooney - £27m - August 2004

After bursting onto the scene at Goodison Park, and then appearing as though he could carry England to the Euro 2004 title before injury struck, it was obvious Everton would not be able to hold on to their boy wonder.
And it was Manchester United who came calling, splashing out £27m on the then 18-year-old. It was a huge fee for such a young player - but in retrospect a bargain. On his debut he scored a Champions League hat-trick against Fenerbahce and he never looked back. Rooney is currently the fourth highest scorer in Manchester United's history.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Robin van Persie - £24m - August 2012

Robin van Persie, Ferguson's final big-name signing, scored 30 goals in his first season at the club as United reclaimed the title from Manchester City with ease.
There is no doubt that the Dutchman is among the best in the Premier League, but injury problems under David Moyes have raised concerns that he fitness record at Old Trafford could be as frustrating as when he was at Arsenal.

Getty

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Anderson - £20.4m - July 2007

Still only 25-years-old, there remains perhaps a little more time for Anderson to justify why United paid Porto in excess of £20m for the midfielder's services.
Yet it must be said that the box-to-box midfielder has been disappointing in the six-years he's spent at Old Trafford, showing only marginal progress during that period. Although, if Anderson does nothing else, he will be able to say he scored United's sixth attempt from the penalty spot in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea. John Terry missed with the next spot-kick as United claimed their third European Cup triumph.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Ruud van Nistelrooy - £19m - June 2001

Alex Ferguson pursued Ruud van Nistelrooy for years, and it was only injuries that stopped the Dutch striker transferring from PSV Eindhoven to United earlier. He would be worth the wait.
In 150 league appearances he would score 95 goals, while his record in the Champions League was incredible. During his time at United he scored 38 Champions League goals - more than any other United player in the club's history. After five-years at the club he was sold to Real Madrid.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

David de Gea - £18.9m - June 2011

United needed to replace the retiring Edwin van der Sar with a top-class stopper, yet while David de Gea clearly had ability, Ferguson's decision to put his faith in a 20-year-old with relatively little experience surprised many.
Signed from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2011, the Spaniard started shakily but has since silenced the doubters (barring his horrendous error against Sunderland in the Capital One Cup semi-final)

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Michael Carrick - £18.6m - July 2006

Another player Tottenham reluctantly sold to United, Michael Carrick has been a consistent force in Ferguson's midfield since joining in 2006.
Among other honours, the England international has five league titles to his name and a Champions League medal. There are few better passers in the Premier League, but his inability to find the back of the net remains a frustration.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Nani - £17.3m - July 2007

Unfairly compared to his countryman Cristiano Ronaldo after arriving from Sporting Lisbon in 2007, Nani had a slow start to his Old Trafford career.
Yet he has showed signs of breaking free of those shackles, netting 10 goals from midfield in both the 2010/11 and 2011/12 season. Despite signing a new contract after the arrival of David Moyes, he continues to be linked with a move away.

GETTY IMAGES

Manchester United's most expensive signings... were they worth it?

Owen Hargreaves - £17m - July 2007

Consistent displays at the heart of Bayern Munich's midfield, and then impressive performances in an England shirt under Sven Goran-Eriksson brought Owen Hargreaves to the attention of the British public, and Alex Ferguson, and in the summer of 2007 he joined Manchester United in a £17m deal.
Some described him as one of the most naturally talented midfielders England had ever seen - yet Manchester United fans didn't get much of a chance to see for themselves. Injuries would limit Hargreaves to just 39 appearances for the club before he was released.

GETTY IMAGES

PA

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies