Juventus, Inter & Roma keeping tabs on Juan Mata

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has been linked with a potential summer switch to Serie A, with Juventus, Inter and Roma all rumoured to be interested in the 32-year-old.

Mata is nearing the end of the two-year contract he signed in the summer of 2019, which could allow him to leave Old Trafford as a free agent at the end of the season. But United are yet to trigger an option that would extend the deal until the summer of 2022 instead.

The Sun claims that Juventus, Inter and Roma are keeping tabs on Mata, who was a record signing when he joined United from Chelsea for £37.1m in January 2014.

Of the three, interest from Inter has been strongest, with Juve and Roma only expected to make an approach should Mata be released and be available on a free transfer.

It is said Mata remains happy at United and that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still considers a valuable asset to have in the squad. Yet the Spaniard has only made 12 appearances in all competitions so far this season and has only played two minutes in the Premier League in 2021.

He could be forgiven for wanting to play more often at this late stage of his career. But aside from Italy there could be interest from the Middle East, where fellow countryman and former international colleague Xavi wound down his career. It also hinted that Mata himself would be hopeful of receiving offers to move back home to Spain.

Mata has been playing his football in England since the summer of 2011 when he joined Chelsea from Valencia. By that stage he was already a World Cup winner, having been part of Spain’s victorious squad in 2010, while he went on to win Euro 2012.

Mata was Chelsea Player of the Year in both 2011/12 and 2012/13, during which time the club won the Champions League and Europa League, but he fell out of favour when Jose Mourinho took over at Chelsea in 2013, paving the way for his surprising transfer to Old Trafford.

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