Chelsea yesterday announced the signing of Juan Mata from Valencia on a five year contract. The deal is thought to be in the region £23.5m and represents a significant step forward in Andre Villas-Boas’ restructuring of the Blues’ playing style.
It’s also a major coup for the Stamford Bridge club- Mata had been strongly linked with a move to both Arsenal and Spurs but despite Harry Redknapp’s protestations that the move is only about wages, Mata has insisted Chelsea fans should have Fernando Torres to thank for his part in the move.
When [Torres] knew they were interested in signing me, he spoke with me and told me that playing abroad could be a very nice step for me. It’s a new endeavour in my life, to develop personally and professionally. So I think I took the most logical decision.
The Statistics
A prodigious talent, Mata joined the youth ranks of Real Oviedo at the age of twelve, spending three years there before being snapped up by Real Madrid. A successful graduate of the Spanish giants’ youth academy, he played for the Real Madrid B team, scoring 10 goals in 39 games in the 2006-07 campaign, before-in what has subsequently proved a huge error of judgement- being allowed to join Valencia on a free transfer.
It’s at the Mestalla he made his name; four seasons there saw Mata play 129 La Liga matches, scoring 33 goals and making 36 assists- a clear indication he’s as capable of laying on a chance as he is of finding the net. A disciplined player with no history of long-term injury, he picked up just 10 yellow cards and was never sent off in his time at Valencia.
In terms of international football, Mata has played at every level in the Spanish youth system- he debuted for the Under 16s in 2004, scoring 2 goals in 3 games and was called up for the Under 21s at eighteen years of age. Again, his record is impressive- Mata made 43 appearances at all levels between Under 16 and Under 21 and scored 23 goals, while his record for the full international team stands at 4 goals in 11 games.
The Prospects
Chelsea have played 4-3-3 for a number of years now but in order to replicate the success he achieved at Porto, Villas-Boas clearly feels he needs to invest in new personnel. No longer will they be solely reliant on knock-downs from a barnstorming centre forward such as Didier Drogba and the late runs into the box of Frank Lampard. This season, the plan is to play high up the pitch, pressing the opponent, harrying them into making mistakes. The new boss wants Chelsea to play with width, both up front and from the back.
So far, it hasn’t quite worked- Chelsea’s ageing squad perhaps lack the dynamism and energy required to carry out their manager’s gameplan. As of yet, only Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa look to have fulfilled the new bosses expectations, offering plenty attacking menace from full-back areas. Mata, therefore, is a crucial piece in the Chelsea puzzle Villas-Boas is looking to solve. The player explained his new manager’s thinking was the clincher in his arrival:
Speaking directly with Villas-Boas was the decisive factor. He explained how his style will be based on 4-3-3 and how important I will be to his plans.
He said he wanted Chelsea to play more attacking football this season, and that I would be a big part of that. The plan is that I can play on either flank or even in the middle playing in between the lines of midfield and attack. I like to keep the ball and use it well, I am an attacking player and above all I like to set up goals and score them also.
In terms of a conventional 4-3-3, then, Mata’s arrival could pose a threat to Florent Malouda on the left. The Frenchman played every league match for Chelsea last season but as far as game time goes, has looked a shaky proposition under Villas-Boas. He was subbed off in the game at Stoke and started last week’s match with West Brom on the bench, only coming on due to an inept performance from Salomon Kalou. Reports in this morning’s press suggested Malouda could be on his way before the transfer window slams shut next week; Juventus general director, Giuseppe Marotta, admitted an interest last week but the Blues boss moved to refute the allegations in this afternoon’s press conference, going as far to say that the club cannot allow the player to be sold on.
On the subject of today’s press conference, Villas-Boas offered an insight into his views on where Mata might play:
He can play right, left and through the middle. He has been tested as well in 4-4-2, not just 4-3-3 so it gives us flexibility in formation as well.
This backs the school of thought that suggests Mata could also play on the right of the 4-3-3; Villas-Boas utilised the left-footed Hulk in a similar vein at Porto last season. Villas-Boas has already shown he is willing to change plans mid-match; the Chelsea boss altered his side’s shape last Saturday, with a diamond replacing the starting formation, before reverting back to 4-3-3- Mata’s adaptability, then, will be key to his in-game thinking.
Coming in at a price of 9.5 and classed as a midfielder this afternoon in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, he’s likely to see significant investment from Fantasy managers, given the likes of Malouda and Frank Lampard are priced at 10.5 and 12.0 respectively. If his impact is anywhere near the same as Rafael Van der Vaart and Luis Suarez in their debut seasons, Mata may prove to be something of a bargain, though it’s early days to say whether he’ll be involved in set-pieces to the extent of Lampard and Malouda.
The next few days should shed more light on the situation. Villas-Boas admitted in this afternoon’s press conference that Chelsea are also looking to snap up Porto’s Alvaro Pereira and with the previous additions of Romelu Lukaku and Oriol Romeu, the club will need to trim down their options ahead of naming a 25-man squad for the season ahead. Plenty more movement can be expected, then, as Villas-Boas starts to sculpt this squad into one of his own making.
