Manchester United: 5 burning questions heading into the 2016-17 season
5. Will Juan Mata play a role?
I won’t rehash the myriad of issues between Mata and Mourinho here, but suffice it to say, the two don’t see eye to eye. Their latest row as the Spanish midfielder’s career at United very much in question.
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At this point, Manchester United fans should hope that Mata has no relevance or bearing on their upcoming season. There’s almost no way in which he could affect the club positively moving forward.
On the other hand, he’s certainly capable of hurting the club during this pivotal campaign. If he isn’t sold in the next three weeks, he’ll almost certainly become a selection headache for Mourinho. Even worse, he could start to poison the Old Trafford locker room against their new boss. Could Mata pull a Fabregas? It’s not out of the question.
The right move for United would be to send Mata packing before the season formally begins. He still has some value left on the transfer market, and the Red Devils would be wise just to cut their losses. No matter what financial loss they’re forced to endure, it would be better than having Mata stick around to be a negative influence on the rest of the squad.
Next: 4. Can Morgan Schneiderlin bounce back?