Top 10 Manchester United signings of the decade

#5 Juan Mata (£37 million from Chelsea in 2014)

Possibly the only good thing that David Moyes did for United, Juan Mata was recruited from Chelsea to add a creative spark in midfield.

There are few players who are loved by the fans like Mata. The nimble Spaniard has been absolutely crucial over the years, earning a reputation for scoring important goals in big matches.

In recent times, he’s lost his pace and mobility, but is still one of United’s most creative players. Solskjær has often relied on his ingenuity to bail the team out of difficult situations. The fact that the club still rely on him in spite of his age says a lot about what Mata brings to the table.

In 8 seasons at the club, he has a very respectable return of 46 goals in 235 appearances. This is in spite of being played out of position a lot of times, but Mata has always provided a valuable outlet down the right flank.

Players like Mata are becoming outdated, thanks to the philosophy of intense pressing introduced by Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. The 31-year-old isn’t press resistant, but can work wonders when given time and space on the ball.

Even if he doesn’t last much longer at the club, Mata will go down as one of United’s best players of the last decade. In what has been a very difficult period for the club, he’s provided a sense of calm and consistency in midfield.

If 2019/20 proves to be his last season at Old Trafford, the veteran World Cup winner will be hoping to get his hands on some silverware for the last time in a red shirt before he moves on.