Sleeper – Juan Mata

During the final few weeks of the 2013/14 season, Juan Mata showed he was settling into life as a Manchester United player following his £37.1 million move from Chelsea, scoring six goals in his final six appearances.

The Spanish international, priced at 9.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, netted twice in United’s first four matches and seemed to have cemented a regular starting role in Louis van Gaal’s line-up.

With club record signing Angel Di Maria and fellow new boy Radamel Falcao thrust into the reckoning, Mata went into the season uncertain of his position in the pecking order. He duly failed to feature in three of United’s matches between Gameweeks 6 and 12, although he did register a goal and an assist during that period. Primarily due to injuries to others, the former Chelsea man regained a regular spot in the first XI from Gameweek 13, and he notched another two goals and pair of assists, before finding himself on the periphery of the first-team picture once again from Gameweek 23.

Mata would have to wait until the home encounter with Tottenham in Gameweek 29 for his next start, and he would go on to score three goals and provide an assist in his next trio of appearances, as United found their best form of the season to see off Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City. The Spaniard was now a vital member of the United side, and he would start every match for the rest of the season, although with Van Gaal’s men failing to score in four of their final six clashes, Mata’s only attacking points were from the penalty spot at Crystal Palace.

He finished the season as United’s joint-highest scorer along with David de Gea in FPL on 138 points, scoring nine goals and bagging four assists from 33 appearances (27 starts). When compared to the top three FPL midfielders, Mata’s goal conversion rate of 27.3% was far superior to Eden Hazard (17.9%), Alexis Sanchez (13.2%) and David Silva (18.2%), though the United man’s frequency of attempts (a shot every 73.2 minutes) was significantly slower than Hazard (45.2), Sanchez (25.4) and Silva (41.6).

THE PROSPECTS

United’s summer recruitment has already begun, with left-sided attacker Memphis Depay signed up, leaving Ashley Young’s place in Louis van Gaal’s preferred 4-3-3 formation under serious threat, while Angel Di Maria is also expected to fare better in his second season in England, should he, as expected, remain at Old Trafford.

Radamel Falcao is no longer at the club and with the futures of Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez yet to be decided, it appears likely that United will look to sign another attacker this summer. So while Mata may not be quite as “nailed on” as the likes of Sanchez, Hazard and Silva by the time the transfer window closes, it would be a surprise for him not to feature in the Dutchman’s regular starting line-up next season.

Speaking about the Spanish playmaker towards the end of last term, van Gaal was emphatic in his praise of the midfielder:

“I think Juan Mata is always one of my better players. Always. Now he is playing as a false right-winger and the combination with Herrera and Valencia gives him more opportunities. I was looking for balance and now I have found a position for him.”

Another caveat to Mata’s Fantasy appeal is the fact it appears he will start next term as the number one penalty taker, after netting United’s last spot-kick against Palace in Gameweek 36, although a miss in pre-season may change that, if van Gaal’s “penalty structure” remains in place. With a share of set-piece duties in his locker too, Mata has a real chance of returning to the form that racked up 162 and 212 FPL points in his two full seasons at Chelsea.

Mata ended the previous campaign valued at 8.5, so it seems unlikely that he will be priced any higher than last term’s original starting price of 9.0. Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera both notched six league goals last season and are expected to remain in the mid-price bracket, offering viable alternatives at a cheaper price, while both Depay and Di Maria should be valued similarly to Mata for the new campaign.

There will clearly be plenty of options for Fantasy managers to consider from United, least of all Wayne Rooney, but if Van Gaal continues with the 4-3-3 system, which looks likely following the signing of Depay, Mata’s role on the right could see him come into his own as a Fantasy asset.

United were the fourth highest scorers in the league last season with 62 goals accrued, so Fantasy owners may prefer to look to City, Chelsea and Arsenal for their “big hitters”. Certainly, Van Gaal’s side will need to improve their form on the road after scoring just 21 away goals last term – only two more than relegated QPR and almost half City’s tally of 39.

With further signings on the cards, though, Van Gaal is expected to close the 17-point gap to Chelsea considerably next season after a year of settling in. Should that be the case, an improved showing from Mata looks likely, which would catapult him well and truly back into our thoughts after a stop-start 18 months at the Theatre of Dreams.